Haunted
by DemonicUchihaDaughter
Summary: The ninja world stands upon the brink of war, and Haruno Sakura must forget about her emotions. But how can she, when the one who left her behind returns to her in a dream? Please review!
1. Prologue

Sasuke approached the gate of Konoha, drenched in rain. He didn't know why he had come, or what he was looking for, but during his eight years away from the Village Hidden in Leaves, he had learned to trust his instincts. They had led him hear.

Looking up at the grand gate of the city he once lived, he felt . . . nothing. Nothing at all. This somewhat surprised, but not much, for the day he left the village he stopped feeling. Now, the only emotion that ever crossed his mind was hatred, pure hatred for the man who slaughtered everyone he ever knew and loved. Itachi. The mere mention of that name drove him mad.

"Why is it that you are so weak, foolish little brother? It is because you lack . . . hatred."

Sasuke slipped in the gate of the city, undetected by the eagle-eyed ANBU watching from the guard towers. The road before him was unchanged, but the city was different. Even in the light of the moon, Konoha beat with a different pulse. The trees lining the road were taller, the air smelled surprisingly clean. Nothing stirred in the cold night. Eight years ago, even at this late hour, ANBU and various Jounin would be seen stalking the streets. _Konoha has become accustomed to peace._

A bush stirred by the side of the road. Before a single drop of rain could fall, Sasuke whipped out his blade and in an instant a little brown squirrel lay dead. He smirked to himself. The creature lay cleaved in two, blood spilling onto the paved road. One of its legs twitched a little, then stopped. Blood. He wasn't sure why he liked it so much. Perhaps it was the smell of blood that so attracted him. Or perhaps it was merely the idea of it. Whatever the case, his desire for blood had led to deaths of many innocent people. But there was one person's blood he had yet to draw, his own brother's. Oh, he could just imagine it, the day he finally finds his brother. He could almost feel the fear, the pain in his brother's face, the blood splattered on the walls.

"Orochimaru, where have you been?" Orochimaru entered the main hall of his palace with Kabuto, surprised to find Sasuke waiting there.

"_You promised to teach me a new jutsu and now you're late. You know I don't tolerate such things from you!"_

"_Sasuke-kun, have respect for—" Kabuto was cut off by the look in Sasuke's eye, suddenly overwhelmed by fear._

"_Sasuke-kun, forgive me," Orochimaru taunted, "but I was making preparations. It has been three years. Remember our deal, Sasuke-kun?"_

_A smirk appeared on Sasuke's emotionless face. "I almost forgot." A sudden pain burst in Orochimaru's side, and look of confusion spread across his face. He looked down to find a blade piercing his side. How? Sasuke was a good two meters away, how could he move so fast? Orochimaru's confusion melted away into horror as he coughed up blood again and again._

"_As if I would let a freak like you take my body!" Sasuke twisted the blade in Orochimaru's side, and new pain erupted, blood flowing more freely. The Sannin fell dead to the floor, and Kabuto's face twisted in fear as his master fell. _

"_OROCHIMARU-SAMA!" Sasuke turned to face Kabuto, Orochimaru's blood splattered all over the walls and across Sasuke's clothes. Tears began to drip down Kabuto's cheeks, not so much for the death of his master as for his fear for his own life. He screamed in terror as pain exploded in his body. Numbness. Nothingness. Kabuto drew his last breath, watching his own blood seep into the ground._

Sasuke was awakened from his musings as he sensed a presence nearby. Just ahead of him on a bench, a girl with pink hair lay fast asleep in the pouring rain, her body coated in mud. He approached her slowly. She was sprawled across the bench were he left her, as if she had been waiting for him to return this whole time.

"Sasuke-kun, if you leave I'll scream and—" She paused as Sasuke suddenly appeared behind her.

"_Arigato, Sakura." The girl collapsed before him, unconscious. _

He looked at her drenched, mud cover form. There were bruises covering her arms, and with his sharingan he could tell that there was almost no chakra left in her body. She had been training herself to complete exhaustion. Her left arm hung limply over the side of the bench, an empty bottle of sleeping medicine held loosely in her hand. She was even more beautiful than the last time he saw her, almost five years ago. Yet, he was once again surprised at the indifference he felt. Nothing, not emotion whatsoever permeated his mind. The sight of this former friend, sleeping so peacefully, did not affect him at all.

The rain began to pour even harder, beating down upon him with furiosity. He wasn't quite sure why, hut his instinct told him to, and so he did. Sasuke gently lifted Sakura's limp form in his arms, and carried her towards her house, or what once was her house eight years ago. She seemed so fragile, so vulnerable. Could someone this frail truly be the prized apprentice of Tsunade?

Nothing could be heard as he walked through streets except for the rain pounding on the road and roofs of houses. He encountered many unfamiliar buildings along the way, but the streets were the same. He arrived at her house, and was about to set her down of the porch. However, he noticed something strange. He couldn't sense anyone within the home. Odd. Eight years ago, even when her father and sister were off on missions, Sakura's mother normally stayed home. He decided to go inside, out of the rain. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked.

He brought Sakura up to her room and laid her on the bed, gently removing her boots and placing them on the floor. Her room was a mess. Papers and medical textbooks were flung everywhere. The floor was lined thick with books and papers, and hidden somewhere in the mess was a week-old rotten sandwich she had forgotten about, those house keys she couldn't find, and her ANBU mask, along with other various forgotten items. Sasuke was shocked; an ANBU mask? Eight years ago, she could hardly keep up with him and Naruto. And when they met five years ago, he didn't get the chance to assess her abilities._ Tsunade-sama, you must be quite the teacher._

Sasuke looked over to her desk. On it rested a picture of her, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, and that kid, what's his name, the wuss that had replaced him. Kakashi stood proudly beside his new Team 7; Naruto wore that stupid grin of his; the wuss looked unsure of what expression he should use. Sakura seemed genuinely happy to be with her friends, a glowing smile spread across her face, her eyes two deep pools of liquid emerald. Sakura stirred a little but did not wake up. She seemed so peaceful in her sleep, unaware of the pains of the world.

Something caught his attention. Buried under the mound of papers, Sasuke pulled out a picture frame covered in a thick layer of dust. Wiping the glass clean, he looked at the photograph with shock. Sakura stood in the center looking so young, Naruto glaring at somebody on the left, Kakashi standing proudly behind them. The fourth figure was torn out, a big gaping hole where someone once stood.

"Ok guys, we're taking a group picture," Kakashi-sensei said, bored as usual.

"_Fine, as long as we leave Naruto out." Naruto glared fiercely at Sasuke, who looked back indifferently._

"_You think you're so cool, don't you!"_

"_No, just that you're such a moron"_

"_Damn it Sasuke, I'll kill you."_

"_Baka"_

"_Quit fighting you guys!" Sakura's voice begged. The four of them stood in front of the camera, Naruto glaring furiously at Sasuke, Sasuke staring in the other direction. Sakura smiled happily at the camera. What's she so happy about?_

Sasuke stared at the photo for some time. The edges where the picture had been torn were uneven, jagged. The picture was torn in anger. He then felt something unfamiliar, something he hadn't felt in a long time. What was it? Gradually it grew stronger, this feeling. _Could it be – is this . . . sadness?_ Sasuke buried the picture back under the mountains of books and stood next to Sakura's bed. She had moved on. She was happy now, with Naruto, Kakashi, and that pansy-boy. He watched as her chest moved slowly up and down with each breath. Even with the sharingan, her body seemed almost flawless, despite the fact that she was coated in mud. Her beauty had only improved with her age. The sadness within him grew a little more as he stared longingly at the girl he once couldn't get rid of. He smirked to himself. _How ironic._

He gently brushed a strand of soggy pink hair out of her mud covered face and leaned in so close that his lips almost touched her ear. As softly as he could, he whispered, "Arigato, Sakura"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura awoke with a start, her breath harsh and the rain beating down against her. She looked around; there was no one in sight. She was sweating, despite the cold of the rain. She was still sitting on the bench by the side of the road, the leaves of the trees blowing softly in the wind. Carefully, she removed a slip of torn paper from the pocket in her vest. She unfolded it, revealing a picture of the boy she had tried to forget, the boy she thought she had forgotten. She crushed the picture in her hand and screamed out as loud as she possibly could.

"WHY WON'T YOU LEAVE ME ALONE?" Her voice echoed in the stillness of the night, her cry falling upon deaf ears. The rain mingled with the ink of the photo, and the boys face began to melt away. She covered her eyes with her hand, and for the first time in almost five years, she sobbed openly, her tears lost amongst the thousands of raindrops falling from the sky.


	2. Memories

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I DO own the Uchiha brothers.**

**Please Review!!!!!  
**

Sakura walked home in the pouring rain, listening to the sound of leaves blowing in the wind. What could this dream mean, and why now? Why had he come back?

She opened the unlocked door to her house. It was such a lonely house. She was loath to come home. Most nights, she slept outside. It hurt too much to enter that house. Looking under a textbook on cardiac disease she discovered those keys that had been missing for so long. Exactly where they were in her dream. She let out a long sigh.

_At least it wasn't that other dream._

She walked over to her sister's room and found one of the many matchboxes she kept in a drawer. Taking out the now warped picture of the boy from her vest, she lit it on fire. Paper blackened and disintegrated, ink bubbled, and the face of a traitor melted away. _Good riddance._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura stared at the ramen bowl before her, stirring it absent-mindedly with her chopsticks. Naruto was blabbering on about something again. She tried to pay attention, she truly did, but she found her thoughts kept wandering.

That dream. He should not have come back. But it was so strange; she felt his feelings, shared his thoughts, remembered his memories. The world looked so strange through the eyes of the Uchiha. _Is that what the sharingan is like?_

There was a knock at the door. Sakura was up in her room studying her textbooks again. Her mother and sister were sitting in the living room watching TV. Soon her father would be home from his latest mission, and the family would once again be whole.

_A second knock at the door. Sakura rushed downstairs just as her mother opened the door. An ANBU stood at the door and took off his mask. This was not her father. Her mother and sister stared quizzically at the strange figure._

"_I don't understand, where's my husband?" Sakura knew exactly what this meant._

"_I'm so sorry Mrs. Haruno." She turned towards Sakura with a concerned look on her face. Sakura shook her head, giving her mother a sad look._

"_Mom, I can't bring back the dead."_

"How? How did dad die? How could this be happening to us?" Her sister fell to her knees sobbing. Sakura wanted to cry with her, to release her pain, but she couldn't. She had to be strong, for her sister and mother.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The smell of ramen wafted up to her nostrils, but she didn't feel like eating. That's how it always was. She was always a crutch for the people around her. Shortly after Naruto returned after the three years he had been away, she made a pact with herself. She would never cry again. She would be strong, so that others wouldn't have to be. She would be strong, so that she would no longer be a burden. And, no matter how hard it was, she kept her promise, until last night.

"So what do you think Sakura-chan?" Naruto was wearing his silly grin again.

"That's great Naruto," she said, never taking her eyes off her bowl.

"You haven't been listening to a word I've said, have you?" He was worried. He only remembered seeing her like this twice. The first time he saw her this distracted, Sasuke left the village. The second time was after she had been found at the Northern Gate of Konoha, unconscious. For several weeks after that, she was not Sakura. She was a ghost.

"Eat something please!" The fox boy pleaded with the girl, unsuccessfully. The ghost just sat there, on the windowsill, her eyes staring out into space. He wondered what she was thinking. After they found her, she had not said a word to anyone, touched a single piece of food, or left the spot where she now sat.

"Please Sakura-chan, eat SOMETHING! If you don't eat, you'll die!" Tears streamed down his face. What was he supposed to do? Slowly she turned her head to face him.

"There is no pain in death." What the hell happened to her?

"Oh, sorry Naruto. What were you saying?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Oh no. There's just this girl at the hospital with an unknown infection. I'm a little worried about her, that's all." This wasn't a total lie. There were many people in the hospital with tricky diseases, but that wasn't what she was thinking about.

"Anyway, what were you talking about?"

"Hinata and I, well, we're getting married." A huge grin leapt upon Sakura's face, and without warning she pulled the poor boy into one of her deadly bear hugs.

"Oh, Naruto I'm so proud of you!"

"Sakura-"

"I knew this would happen and it finally did! Such good news!"

"Sakura-"

"How exciting! Finally, my little Naruto is growing up!"

"Sakura-chan . . . you're . . . crushing . . . me"

"Oh sorry." She quickly let go. Naruto coughed a couple times, then went on.

"I have more good news. Jiraiya has been studying Orochimaru's immortality jutsu, and he thinks there might be a way to-" Sakura's grin melted away into a disappointed frown. The cup of tea she was holding exploded in her grip.

"He's not coming back Naruto. Even If you do save him from Orochimaru's grasp, he won't come back."

"But-"

"But nothing! Don't you understand? Sasuke is an S-class criminal now! If you bring him back, do you think everything will just go back to normal? NO! He will be imprisoned and interrogated, tortured, possibly even sentenced to death! If I could, I would go back and stop this from ever happening. If I had decided against taking the chuunin exams, that year, they wouldn't have allowed you two from taking the exams, and Sasuke would never have gotten that damn cursed seal. But I can't change that! It happened, and there is nothing any of us can do to restore Team Seven! WHEN WILL YOU REALIZE THAT?" Naruto was stunned. Her words were so harsh, her voice so angry. She slapped some money on the counter and stood up.

"Thanks for the ramen, Naruto." He watched her retreating figure for a while, then looked down at his ramen bowl. Suddenly, he didn't feel like eating.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura stared at her hands. She sat on the edge of her paper-covered bed. She didn't want to sleep. If she did, They would come back. And if it was not Them, it would be Him. But she had to sleep. Tomorrow, she would be helping Tsunade-sama at the hospital, and she needed to be alert. Taking a couple sleeping pills, she laid back, awaiting whatever nightmares that would be coming her way.


	3. The Dead

**Disclaimer: If you think I own Naruto, you have problems.**

**A/N: Thank you to the people who have reviewed. For those of you who do not review, shame!**

_Sakura found herself standing alone in the midst of a foggy night. The mist was so heavy she could barely see the hand in front of her face._

"_You failed me Sakura." The voice, it was so familiar. The medic turned around and found herself face to face with a ten-year-old girl. She was so pale, her cheeks sunken in. Her skin had taken on an unnatural purple color. The color of dead flesh._

"_Why did you let me die? I didn't want to die." Sakura felt tears pushing against her eyes, but she held them in. She had seen this girl only yesterday. _

"_I'm sorry I –" _

"_You failed me Sakura." Sakura spun around, staring into the eyes of her mangled mother._

"_Please I'm so sorry but –" _

"_You failed me Sakura." Dead bodies began rising the earth. Bloody, sick. Thousands of faces surrounded her. Many of them belonged to strangers, people she had never met, others to ones she had loved dearly, some were the faces of enemies she herself had killed, and some were so mangled they were unrecognizable. _

"_You failed us Sakura." They closed in around her, the stench of rotting flesh filling her nostrils._

"_You failed us Sakura. Now you must die." Dead hands tugged and pulled at her. Nails scratched her pulling chunks of flesh from her bones. The pain exploded in her limbs as she cried out into the mist. _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She awoke with a scream, falling off her bed. Lying on the floor, Sakura took a few minutes to recover her breath. They had returned. The Dead.

She looked over at her alarm clock. It was four in the morning. _I won't be getting any more sleep tonight._ She stood up and made her way to the bathroom. She rested her hands on the sink and stared at herself in the mirror.

That girl, Sayuri. She had been admitted to the hospital only a few weeks ago with a bizarre form of leukemia. She had seen the poor girl only yesterday. _Could she really be dead?_

Sakura took a shower and got dressed. The day was hours away, and no one save a few ANBU would be awake at this hour. She stepped out into the cold chill of the night. She locked the door behind her before she left. Now that she had found her keys, she could finally do so.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi made his way through the night. The chill cut deeply into his flesh, but he ignored it. This was something he was used to. Every day he woke himself early for this purpose.

He was going to the stone that commemorated those who had died on missions. _Uchiha Obito._ That name still lingered with him. It had been so many years since his friend sacrificed himself for Kakashi's sake. So many years, and yet he still hadn't gotten over his death.

The stone came into view, and standing next to it was a figure hidden in shadow. Kakashi paused, not wanting to disturb the lone figure. He couldn't tell who it was, but he could see its hands clasped in front of it, its head lowered in contemplation. After several minutes, it kneeled down and placed something next to the stone, and walked off.

After the figure fully disappeared from view, Kakashi approached the stone. On the ground where the figure was standing lay a single white rose, symbol of purity, under which was a piece of paper with something written on it.

To those I could not save, both friend and foe.

Suddenly, Kakashi felt very silly. For years, he mourned the death of his friend, while so many others have died. And this person, who probably had people very close to them die, felt compassion for even their enemies.

"I think I understand now Obito. You died so that I could live. But ever since your death, I have not lived. I have only grieved for you. Now, I must move on with my life, so that yours would not have been in vain."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura sat on a bench outside the hospital next to Ino. It wasn't a very busy day and the two decided to take a break. Sakura found her mind floating off again as she sipped her tea.

_She opened the door to Sayuri's room. It was empty. The bed that once held a body was empty. The closet was empty. The air held a certain eerie stillness. Lifelessness. A nurse walked by outside and Sakura decided to ask her about Sayuri._

_"Didn't you hear? She died during the night. It turns out whoever diagnosed her Leukemia made a fatal mistake. It was acute leukemia, not chronic. Poor girl, she had so much to live for."_

_Sakura stared at her feet. Funny how a single word can save you, or kill you. Acute. Sakura took a slower, less aggressive treatment for the girl because she thought it was chronic. Had she known it was acute, she would have blasted the crap out of that God damned cancer._

_I have failed another._

Turning her attention to her friend, she realized Ino was crying.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's . . . it's just Shikamaru. I-I d-don't know why, but we've b-been fighting a lot. I-I don't know if I can take much more of this. S-Some I feel like, h-he might be cheating on me." With that, Ino burst into a new wave of sobs. Sakura put a comforting arm around her shoulders and tried to find the right words to say.

"He'd have to be crazy to do something like that. Look, if he does anything to hurt you I'll beet the crap out of him, ok?" Ino giggled through her tears.

"O-ok."

"If you feel you can't trust him, leave him for Pete's sake!"

"B-but I love him!"

"Then don't leave him. By the way, why do you think he's cheating on you?"

"Whenever Temari c-comes to . . . to have negotiations with the Hokage, Shikamaru d-disappears for hours at a time."

"Well then, next time she comes, we'll have to gang up on her. How's that?"

"Sounds good. Thanks Sakura"

A few moments went by in awkward silence. Ino stared into her reflection in her tea.

"What if he is cheating on me? What should I do?"

"Any man who would cheat on his partner doesn't even deserve to get raped in prison. If he his, dump his unworthy ass."

"But I can't."

"Why?"

"You wouldn't understand!" Ino snapped back. "You've never been in love!"

Sakura stared back into her cup. She was right. She dated Kiba for a couple weeks, but that ended poorly. After that, she had been so busy at the hospital and on missions that she hadn't had enough time for such things as love.

"I'm sorry Sakura, I didn't mean it, it's just that –"

"It's ok. I guess that's just one of the perils of being the apprentice of Tsunade-sama with her reputation and all . . ." The two giggled a little. The clouds moved slowly by, leaves swaying in the sweet wind. It was a lovely day to be outside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A voice echoed in the loudspeakers.

"Tsunade-sama, Sakura-sama, you're need in OR 13 STAT!"

Sakura dropped her tea on the floor and took off running, Ino following closely behind. They dashed up several staircases, leaping three steps at a time. Finding OR 13, they burst through the doors. Tsunade was already there.

"What's going on?" Ino looked down at the patient on the table and almost fainted.

"SHIKAMARU!"

"Tsunade-sama, what's going on?" The Hokage stood next to the patient, blood splattered across her face, her hands glowing green, a serious look on her face.

"He was wounded in battle. His aorta was hit, and he's bleeding like crazy. I can't get the bleeding to stop!" Sweat trickle down the Sannin's face. She tried a series of different techniques, but to know avail.

After a while the glow around Tsunade's hands disappeared.

"I'm sorry Ino, there's nothing we can do."

Not another one. She couldn't let another one die. Not again.

Sakura took a look at the dying body. She had an idea, but it was risky. She performed several hand seals and pressed her now glowing hand to his chest.

The heart monitor line flattened out. She stopped his heart. Shikamaru was now clinically dead. With his heart stopped, his blood loss decreased substantially. She could now work on him, but this was tricky, and she only had so long to do it. If stayed in this state to long, he could never be resuscitated.

But healing the dead was far more difficult than healing the living. The human body has a system for healing wounds. The trick to medical ninjutsu was to encourage and direct this healing system, and let the body do the rest. However, the dead cannot heal themselves. Sakura had to use her chakra to force the cells to replicate. She had to feed the dead cells life.

Time ticked slowly by. Every second felt like an eternity for Ino as she watched Sakura try to save a hopeless cause.

Fifteen minutes passed. Hopefully it was not too late. Sakura charged the defibulator, rubbing the metal pads together.

"Clear!"

Shikamaru's dead body jumped several inches into the air. Nothing.

"Clear!"

A second time. Nothing. Sakura tried one more time.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

He took a breath, his heart beating. Life. Shikamaru's eyes fluttered open and glanced around the room in a trance.

"Ino?" Ino's eyes watered, tears spilling over eyelids. She rushed to his side, wrapping him in her embrace and cried into his shoulder.

"Oh Shikamaru I thought I lost you!"

Sakura took a couple steps back. She watched as Ino sobbed into Shikamaru's chest while he tried to comfort her the best he could. Sudden exhaustion over took Sakura's body, pain bursting in her limbs from lack of chakra. Her knees buckled inward and she collapsed to the floor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_It was about a month after her father's death. It was painful seeing her mother deteriorate in such a way. She had fallen into deep depression, always crying, rarely eating. and never leaving the house. Her cheeks had sunken in, her skin grown a sickly pale color. She was a far cry from the woman she had once been._

_Sakura walked through the streets of the market with a bag of groceries in hand. The sun shown brightly and there was not a cloud in the sky. Suddenly, a scream tore through the placid air of the marketplace._

_Sakura pushed her way through the crowd to find a figure outside the herb shop._

_"Mom what happened?" She had fallen onto a wooden cart, and a piece of wood lodged itself in her side._

_"I jumped Sakura. I-I jumped off the roof." She coughed several times, spewing up blood with each breath._

_"I-I didn't want to feel the pain anymore S-Sakura." Cough "I thought i-if I died, th-there would be no pain in death."_

_"Don't talk Mom, you need to save your strength." Sakura could feel the tears push against the eyes, but she held them in. Already her hands were glowing green, trying to fix her mother's broken body. But she didn't know how to fix an injury like this._

_"B-but you know what? Now that I'm dying" cough "I'm scared. I-I don't wanna die any" cough "anymore."_

_"You're not gonna die, just hang in there."_

_"Sakura, please, don't let me die . . . " Her heart stopped beating, eyes glazed over, staring at her daughter's face but seeing nothing._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura opened her eyes. It took her a couple seconds for here vision to adjust.

"So, you finally woke up." Sakura found herself staring into the smiling face of Tsunade-sama.

"You were out for a couple hours. Strange thing, you never actually became fully unconscious. You just became delirious, mumbling some things I couldn't understand."

_Thank God. If I had become unconscious, They would have come back._

"It seems as though the student has surpassed the master. You brought back someone I couldn't. I'm very proud of you Sakura. You truly have a gift for healing, and a compassion I've never seen before. I have nothing more to teach you. Why don't you take the rest of the day off, ok?" Tsunade ruffled her pink hair as she got up and walked towards the door.

"Wait, Tsunade-sama?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

The Hokage smiled to her star pupil as she left the room. _Wow, could I REALLY have surpassed one of the Legendary Three Sannin?_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura smelled the brisk night air on way through the crowd to her nightly meeting with Naruto at the Ichiraku ramen stand.

"Oi, Sakura-chan!" His cheerful voice stood out from the crowd, instantly lifting her spirits.

Naruto was standing next to Ichiraku's (as always) with his arm wrapped around Hinata. They look so cute as a couple!

"Ug Naruto, don't you ever get sick of ramen?" Sakura sighed in frustration.

"No."

"If you don't eat something other than ramen, you'll die of malnutrition. Take it from me, I'm a medic!"

"That's what I always tell him but he never listens!" said Hinata, "Why don't we go for barbeque or something tonight?"

"Sounds good to me!" And with that, the two kunoichi dragged off poor Naruto by the ears towards the barbeque place kicking and screaming.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_"No, Oni-chan,, don't show me this!" A small, raven-haired boy, no more then eight years old, pleaded with his big brother, tears streaming down his face._

_The black-haired, man before him, dressed in an ANBU uniform, raised a katana above two bloody figures._

_"NO!"_

_The blade went down. Blood. So much blood. His mother and father lay on the floor, dead. Images of his aunt and uncle, relatives, people he had never met, flashed before his eyes. Dead. All of them. Dead. He was alone._

_This twisted world faded back into reality, the boy collapsed on the floor._

_"Why brother?"_

_"To see if I could. If you wish to kill me, hate me, and live in an unsightly way, run. Run, and cling to life."_

Sasuke jolted upright in bed, cold sweat dripping down his face. Out of the corner of his eye he caught something red. Sharingan?

Shattering glass. A kunai now protruded from what was once a mirror. He had mistaken his own reflection for his brother. Sasuke leapt out of bed and punched the wall with all his might.

"DAMN YOU ITACHI!"

A drop of blood trickled down his fist. His chest heaved, panting as he tried to catch his breath.

"Damn you. Killing you won't be enough anymore."


	4. The Art of Killing

**Disclaimer: I am pretty sure I don't own Naruto.**

**A/N: Yay, chapter 4! More action in upcoming chapters, I promise!**

A figure stood in the branches of a tree; golden lights and shadows playing on her mask and surprisingly pink hair. It was sunrise, and adrenaline pounded in her veins. A sound cracked in her ear as one of her teammates spoke to her through radio.

"Target is approaching Captain."

"Prepares yourselves. Remember, this is a new jutsu I'm trying out, so if it doesn't work, we'll have to go in and take care of the job old school. Understood?"

"Hai!"

"Hai!"

"Hai!"

She could see it now. A frail old man in white clothes and a big hat flanked by two guards in masks. The Mizukage. This was their victim, the object of their mission. Lately, the Village Hidden in Mist had been threatening to attack Konoha, and the Mizukage was the cause of it all. Konoha needed him dead, but if the citizens of Mist learned he was assassinated by the Leaf, war would surely break out. This is where Sakura came in. She was the head of Konoha's elite ANBU assassination squad, and this was their mission.

She didn't want to do this. Yet another life, lost from the world of happiness and pain. She didn't want to do this, but it was either one person, or many. War was not an option.

She quickly performed several hand seals. Chakra seeped through her hands, forming two disks. They were entirely undetectable to the eye. Chakra control was her specialty, so creating a jutsu that utilizes little enough chakra to make it invisible was a synch.

Sakura tossed one of the disks like a shuriken, closely followed by the other. Both found their mark undetected, but nothing happened. Several minutes passed as the group of three proceeded through the forest. A voice cracked in her ear again, but this time of a teammate further down the path.

"Target is down."

A cry could be heard through the forest. "Mizukage! The Mizukage has had a heart attack!"

This was the beauty of her new her new jutsu. Undetectable, except to the Byakugan or Sharingan, it did not kill immediately. Instead, several minutes after impact, the victim's heart would simply stop. It would appear as if he died by natural causes. None would ever suspect foul play.

"Mission success. Let's go home team."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura lay flat on her back on the training grounds, panting heavily. Kunai were thrown every which way, the grounded was cracked, and blood dribbled from her hands. She trained every chance she got, always to make herself stronger, always so she could protect the ones she loved. Training always relaxed her, helping her to forget her troubles. But now, she felt sick to her stomach. She had killed. _Again_.

__

The first time she killed was at the final rounds of the Chunin exams. Her opponent was a haughty shinobi, and he was very powerful. The crowd roared, chanting his name as he stabbed her in the side, sending her flying.

"_You just gonna sit there on your ass little girl? Or can I have some fun before I kill you?"_

_How dare he? How dare he underestimate her? Everyone always underestimated her, she even underestimated herself sometimes._

_The shinobi lunged at her, kunai in hand. Sakura blocked his blow and punched him hard in the stomach. He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving a lump of wood behind. Suddenly, he appeared behind her, tossing several umbrellas into air. They exploded, sending a shower of needles, kunai, and shuriken raining down on her. Sakura did her best to dodge them, but could not escape one kunai, which lodged itself in her hand._

_Shit. Now she couldn't perform hand seals. The shinobi appeared behind her, katana aimed straight for her heart. She had to act. Easily dodging the weapon, Sakura placed her hands on the ground and sent her legs kicking in either direction. The head of her opponent was instantly crushed between the force of her heels._

_Sakura took several steps back in horror. The man's skull was crushed, fragments of brain and bone scattered here and there, blood splattered everywherw. The crowd silenced for a moment._

_I've . . . I-I've KILLED him!_

_A deafening roar erupted from the audience, now chanting the name of the girl they had moments before cheered against._

"_Ha-ru-no! Ha-ru-no! Ha-ru-no!"_

_How could they cheer for this? How? The thought struck her hard, and bile rose in her throat. She had KILLED someone. Sakura fell to her knees and vomited the contents of her stomach onto the floor. _

"The winner of this match: Haruno Sakura."

_She wretched again, but now her stomach had nothing to yeild._

"Oi Sakura, have you seen Lee?"

Sakura opened her eyes to see Tenten standing before her.

"No, I haven't. Why?"

"We were supposed to go out for lunch, but I can't find him. I expected to see him here at the training grounds, but I guess you beat him to it."

"I guess I did."

"By the way, is it true about Naruto and Hinata? That they're getting married?"

"Yep."

"Poor Kiba. He must be devastated."

"I'm sure he'll be fine. He's resilient, and his got Akamaru to comfort him too."

"I hope so. Anyway, see you 'round Sakura!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura walked past the Ichiraku ramen stand, not in the least bit surprised to see Naruto there. Taking a seat beside him, she ordered a bowl herself.

"I guess you didn't like the barbeque last night, huh?"

"Oh, no I did! But I can get barbeque in my ramen here too! See!" he showed her his bowl of ramen. By his expression, he seemed quite proud of himself to have discovered a way to have his two favorites at once. By the looks of it, Naruto was already on his fourth bowl. Sakura let out an exasperated sigh. _He just won't learn_.

"Oi, Sakura-chan."

"Yea?"

"I know you don't want me to, but . . ."

"But what?"

"I'm gonna save Sasuke!" Sakura's smile faded, and she gave him a baka-I-told-you-not-to look. "Now I know what you're thinking, but I'm not gonna bring him back. I'll just help get Orochimaru out of his body, that's all."

"Orochimaru's not in his body." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Wha?"

"If Orochimaru _did_ possess the sharingan, Konoha would lay in ruins by now. Besides," Sakura thought back to that dream she had, "I have a hunch."

Naruto smiled. He trusted her judgment entirely. Somehow, it seemed like she was always right about such things. Always. _Like she's psychic or something_.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura skipped happily through the streets. Tonight was the night her sister was coming home from her month-long reconnaissance mission. Bursting through the front door, she cried out as loudly and obnoxiously as she possibly could.

"ONEE-CHAAAAN!!"

Her sister was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching some cheesy chic flick with Neji. _Oh God, poor Neji!_

"SAKURA NEE-CHAAAAN!" She cried back, trying to out do Sakura's obnoxious yell.

Her sister leapt off the couch and Sakura pulled her into one of her infamous bear hugs.

"Good to see you again!"

"Same! Neji's gonna stay here for the night, k?"

"Fine, just don't keep my up with your noises again." The two giggled. Her sister was two years her senior, but she still found it strange that she was dating _Neji_ of all people.

"Me and Neji have a mission early tomorrow morning, so we'll be leaving probably before you wake up."

"Again? Ugh, you're always gone! Some sister I have!"

That's how it always was. Gone. She was always off on missions, never home. After the death of her mother, she requested extra missions from Godaime. She said it was so that she could support the two of them, but that wasn't true. Sakura brought in enough money from her S-class missions and hospital work alone. But she could understand. Her sister wanted to stay out of the house as much as possible. It was a lonely house without their parents. The house brought her painful memories, and that's why she was always away on missions. Sakura felt it too. That's why most nights she trained herself so hard that she didn't have enough energy to drag her lifeless body home. That's why she slept outside most nights.

Sakura plopped herself on the couch next to Neji and her sister who were playing footsy and whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears. _Ugh, don't make me vomit_. She averted her eyes towards the tv screen to watch whatever piece-of-crap movie her sister had chosen to torture Neji with tonight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Sakura found herself standing alone in the midst of a foggy night. The mist was so heavy she could barely see the hand in front of her face._

"_You failed me Sakura." The medic turned around and found herself face to face with an old man in white robes, his flesh a sickly pale color._

"_Why did you kill me? I didn't want to die." Sakura felt tears pushing against her eyes, but she held them in. The Mizukage._

"_I'm sorry I –"_

"_You failed me Sakura." Sakura spun around, staring into the eyes of another man she had never met. He was handsome, with yellow hair and bangs and a look in his eyes that reminded her of Naruto. A chain was wrapped around hi body tying him to a ghostly figure behind him. The Death God._

"_Please I'm so sorry but –"_

"_You failed me Sakura." Dead bodies began rising the earth. Bloody, sick. Thousands of faces surrounded her. Many of them belonged to strangers, people she had never met, others to ones she had loved dearly, some were the faces of enemies she herself had killed, and some were so mangled they were unrecognizable._

"_You failed us Sakura." They closed in around her, the stench of rotting flesh filling her nostrils._

"_You failed us Sakura. Now you must die." Dead hands tugged and pulled at her. Nails scratched her pulling chunks of flesh from her bones. The pain exploded in her limbs as she cried out into the mist._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura jolted upright in bed, covered in cold sweat. _Not again. What do they want with me? _She got up and tiptoed over to her sister's room. She opened the door just a crack to see her sister still sound asleep on the bed. It was strange. Her sister was two years older than her, yet she felt like the older one of the two.

Grabbing a coat, she snuck out into the cold of the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi felt the bitter cold pierce his flesh, chilling him to the bone. But he was used to it. He made his way through the streets of the silent village, his nose stuck in his perverted book, towards the fallen heroes' memorial. But this time it wasn't to mourn.

He paused a good distance away from the stone and hid himself behind a tree. A solemn figure appeared by the stone, too far for him to make out. He found himself waking up every morning to watch this mourning figure. It came everyday, and everyday it kneeled down and whispered something inaudible before leaving. And for some reason, the white rose it left behind never seemed to whither. He found himself somehow fascinated with this lone figure in a way he couldn't explain.

"I can feel your heart beating over there Kakashi-sensei."

Shock struck him square in the eye. And Sakura's voice, no less. He approached the girl, stopping a few feet behind her. She was wearing a beige trench coat over her light green pajamas, her beautiful pink hair standing out sharply against the night. _This is the girl I've been so fascinated with? My own student?_

She knelt down, a green light emitting from her hand where she touched the now browned rose. The flower seemed to gain new life, turning white again. Satisfied with her accomplishment, Sakura stood up, her eyes never once leaving the stone.

"You know what my mother said to me while she was dying? She told me, 'Sakura, please don't let me die'." Silence descended on the two. Kakashi stared at her back, unsure of how to respond. She turned here head to face him, smiling a sad little smile.

"I can't let anyone die every again. That's my duty." Kakashi could only stare back at the shivering girl before him. A thought slipped into his mind, a question he had wanted to ask her for a long time.

"Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"That time when you were found outside the gate of Konoha, you wouldn't talk or eat for weeks. What happened to you?"

His question was answered by silence. She stood there for several moments, shivering against the cold, remembering something she didn't want to remember.

"I don't want to talk about it." With that she turned and headed for home, leaving a confused Kakashi behind staring at where she once stood.


	5. Akatsuki

**Disclaimer: I'm not crazy enough to have invented Naruto, nor do I own it.**

**A/N: Sorry about the wait, but here it is, Chapter 5!**

_Fog. Why was there so much fog? She couldn't see anything, not her feet, not her hands, not the nose on her face. The freezing cold seeped into her bones, draining her of life._

"_Sakura."_

_She swiveled around towards the voice, only to be met with more fog. Slowly, the heavy mist began to clear revealing a lone figure standing before her._

"_Sakura"_

_The figure took a limping step forward, its head hung low. The shadows and the mist receded from its face. A kunai protruded from its skull, blood seeping in its hair. It lifted its head just enough to make eye contact with the girl. Pain and fear where written all over its face, tears mingling with the coagulated blood._

"_Sakura . . ." It coughed blood several times before continuing. "You, you failed me, sister."_

"_Onee-chan?" The girl took several steps back from the figure, not wanting to believe what lay before her eyes. She bumped into something behind her. Turning her eyes, she saw her mother and father grasping her shoulders, tears in their eyes._

"_You failed us." _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura's eyes flew open, her heart beating at an abnormally fast rate. She lifted her head, and found that she had been using a textbook as a pillow. She brushed the drool from her face and stared at the diagram of the nervous system before her.

"Onee-chan," she said, barely above a whisper.

She walked downstairs, grabbing her trench coat on the way. Opening the door, she found herself face-to-face with Neji, who had his fist raised, ready to knock. His eyes were red and puffy, and looked utterly exhausted.

"Sakura –"

"She's dead, isn't she."

A look of astonishment crossed his face.

"Yes, I'm sorry." Sakura leaned against the wall, and buried her face in her hands. She was alone. Entirely alone.

"She died honorably. She . . . she died honorably. That . . . kunai was meant for . . . meant for me." He brought his hand to the bridge of his nose, desperately fighting an uphill battle to hold back tears.

"But . . . but you weren't supposed to hear that from me. Tsunade-sama would like to speak with you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was early, far too early to be up. The sun hadn't even risen yet. And it would be a long day. Bad news, such bad poured in from every angle. But, then again, this was the burden of the Hokage.

"Oh, Shizune, what I would give for some sake right now."

"But Tsunade-sama, you have so much work to do, and it's way to early to start drinking."

"Don't remind me."

The door creaked open, and a girl with pink hair entered her room, still in her pajamas and a trench coat.

"Sakura –"

"I know, she's dead. But that's not why you summoned me, is it?"

The Godaime was shocked. This girl never ceased to amaze her.

"Yes. Please sit down."

Sakura took the seat right across from the Hokage's desk.

"Now, I know this must be very painful. I too have lost loved ones." Taking the hand of her apprentice in her own, she continued. "But, you know, I have always considered you as a daughter to me. If you ever need anything . . ."

"Why did you summon me here?"

"Right. The mission of your sister's team failed, but it did bring back important news, distressing thought it may be. You see, Akatsuki is yet again on the move. It seems the stars are once again in alignment, and they now seek the Kyuubi."

"You think they will attack Konoha?"

"No. At least, not until they have the Kyuubi. So for the time being we're safe. But we must get Naruto out of Konoha, and make sure they don't get to him."

"And you want me to go with him?"

"No. I have a different mission for you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"God damn it, where the hell is she?"

Naruto paced back and forth, obviously losing patience.

"I can understan you being late, Kakashi-sensei, but Sakura? She's NEVER late for missions."

Kakashi was quite surprised. The girl hadn't shown up at the fallen hero's memorial either. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sai had been waiting for her for over an hour now.

A squeal could be heard as a little pink blob came flying towards them. Ton Ton (Poor pig, I'd kill myself if somebody forced me to dress like that) came running up the three of them, obviously out of breath. Sai detached a scroll fastened to her leg and opened it.

"Our mission is canceled, and Tsunade-sama wishes to see us immediately."


	6. The One They Call Uchiha

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, it would surely be the apocalypse.**

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update, but now that finals are over, I can hopefully update more often!

Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi stood expectantly in the Hokage's office, waiting for her to speak. Since they arrived, she had not said a word. Nor had she acknowledged their presence. Instead, for the past fifteen minutes, she buried her nose in the eternally huge stack of papers before her. A couple more minutes went by and still she had not said a word.

At length, and ANBU nin entered the office and bowed before the Hokage.

"Report,"

"Mission successful. The message was delivered to Sunagakure, and the Kazekage has replied accordingly." The ninja placed a scroll on her desk and continued. "Also, Tsunade-sama, Assassination Squad 3 departed for their mission a couple minutes ago."

"Thank you very much. You may leave."

The ANBU bowed once more and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Without hesitation, the Godaime picked up the scroll on her desk, and quietly smiled to herself at the contents. Not able to stand the tension any longer, and fearing Naruto would say something stupid, Kakashi spoke up.

"Tsunade-sama, if I may be so bold to ask, why have you summoned us here?"

"Yea, baa-sama, you've kept us waiting for hours, dattebayo!!!!" Kakashi smacked himself on the forehead. It seemed Naruto would never grow out of his foolish habits.

"You have a new mission, but I don't want to explain it until the last member of your team arrives."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hinata walked out of the meeting room feeling utterly drained listening to old men complain about nothing. When her father died, she was named the new head of the Hyuuga family, and let me tell you, being the head of any family is no walk in the park. Especially for a girl with self-confidence issues. But somebody had to do it, and she was the most qualified.

Taking in the sweet morning air, Hinata made her way to the Hyuuga mansion where she resided. Perhaps there she could take a much-needed nap. Old men and their complaints. Ugh, how dare they complain? She had erased the boundaries between the main and branch families and forbade the cursed seal technique, brought over all greater unity to the clan, and they dare to say she's a weak leader? Weak? She opposed century's old traditions and she's _weak?_ No, she would prove them wrong.

In a cloud of smoke, a ninja in a mask appeared by her side, waking her from her reverie.

"Hinata-sama, you are expected at the Hokage's office."

"Hai."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Naruto had now taken to pacing anxiously around the room. Sai found himself wondering how long it would take for Naruto to ware down a hole in the floor when the door burst open revealing one very flushed and out of breath Hinata.

"S-sorry Tsunade-sama. The . . . the meeting ran late and –"

"No need to apologize. Now, as for your mission . . ."

"Wait a minute!"

Everyone turned their heads to face Sai and his unusual outburst.

"As much as I respect Hinata-san, doesn't Sakura usually accompany us on our missions?"

"Yes, however Sakura is currently on a mission of her own. Now for yours. It would seem that the stars are yet again in the proper alignment for demon-sealing. You know what this means Naruto."

The fox demon nodded his head somberly.

"It has reached the ears of Konoha that Akatsuki is yet again on the move, and you, Naruto, being the last remaining Jinchuuriki, are their prime target." Hinata grabbed Naruto's hand tightly upon hearing this, a concerned look on her face. Tsunade continued. "Should they get their hands on the Kyuubi, they will launch a world-wide invasion, against which we will be powerless. Which is why you will be leaving."

She paused here to take out the scroll she had received only minutes before.

"The four of you will stay in the Wave country until further notice. We have already arranged for your living arrangements. Konoha has made several communications with the Sand, and it has been determined that Hinata and Naruto are to be disguised as nobility from the Country of Wind, while Kakashi and Sai will be their escorts, disguised and Sand shinobi. You are to leave immediately. Is this understood?"

All four shinobi saluted. She tossed the scroll to Kakashi before going on. "Very good. This scroll here contains further details of the mission, and where you will be staying. Good luck, Team Seven. Oh, and Hinata . . ."

The Hyuuga approached her desk. Waiting until the other three had left the room, Tsunade said, "I did not assign you to this mission because you are Naruto's girlfriend. I gave you this responsibility because you possess the Byakugan. Do you understand?"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!"

"Very good. Take good care of Naruto for me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kiyoshi ran through the stone cold hallways, all the while fearing his own decision. Uchiha-sama was not one to forgive, or to let slide any disobedience. He turned right into another winding hall, and paused before a large wooden door adorned with the symbol of a fan. He hesitated before opening the door, fearing the Otokage's wrath.

No one knew what lay behind that door. Uchiha-sama could sometimes be seen walking in and out of this door, but he forbade any other from touching. And Uchiha-sama was not one to be trifled with. Fear seemed to follow him wherever he went. He seemed to thrive off of the pain and fear of others.

The day Orochimaru died was bitter-sweet. The man was a foolish ruler, who nearly destroyed his own village with two invasions of Konoha. The sannin was no hero to his people. The ones closest to him held in their hearts an undying, inconceivable loyalty to the man, but over the years, as his incompetence became more apparent, he began to lose respect. He was obsessed with his quest for immortality and power, often disregarding the needs of the village for his own selfish desires. But none where brave enough to face the legendary Sannin.

_Kiyoshi had been called to the training ground that morning. Orochimaru said he had something special planned for that afternoon, a momentous event in Otogakure. He said he would soon possess the Sharingan, and would soon find no need for his old body. Kiyoshi was to dispose of this body after the ceremony._

_As he entered the training ground, he screamed in terror. Laying on the floor were two bodies belonging to Kabuto and Orochimaru drenched in blood, gore splattered all over the walls, limbs dispersed throughout the room. How? Who could possibly be strong enough to defeat The Snake Sannin? Kiyoshi frantically searched around for the enemy._

"_Well?"_

_Kiyoshi jumped at the sound of this voice and spun around. Behind him, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, not slightest look of fear in his eyes, was Uchiha Sasuke._

"_Well? You gonna clean up this mess, or do I have to add you to it?"_

"_H-hai, Uchiha-sama!"_

Uchiha-sama made a far better ruler than Orochimaru. He attended to the needs of Otogakure, and under his command, the Sound became a wealthy, formidable opponent. Stability finally appeared in the village, and crime rate dropped significantly. However, the Uchiha was also a far more terrifying leader than Orochimaru. And believe you me, that is saying a lot.

The Otokage ruled with an iron fist. If even the slightest order was disobeyed, punishment was cruel. Public executions were held almost every day, and the heads of the executed were put on display in the streets for all to see. He seemed to know everything. He had eyes that dug their way right into your mind, that drove you crazy. The look in his eyes alone could bring even the strongest men to tears. And with these eyes, he could see the slightest twitches in one's face, and instantly know his thoughts. It was almost as if he could read you mind. And no one could read his. His face almost never betrayed any emotion. His eyes that could see so much showed so little.

But he was psychopathic. Anyone could see this. He blood lust was almost tangible, suffocating all in his presence. At all times, he had a squad search for a grouped named Akatsuki. He was searching for something, wanting something, but no one knew what. The last ones to know were Orochimaru and Kabuto, but they were dead. His objective was kept an eternal secret, As was his past.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kiyoshi opened the ebony door to find himself at the top of a long staircase leading down into darkness. He followed it down, down into the bitter pitch-black. At the bottom, he paused in fear.

Uchiha-sama stood, his back turned to him, before what appeared to be a shrine. A large white plaque hung on the wall, holding same fan symbol he wore on his back and many innumerable names, each one an Uchiha. On either side of this plaque were large torches set ablaze with fire.

Without turning, the Otokage spoke in a menacing, fearsome voice.

"What are you doing here?"

Kiyoshi fell to his knees and bowed before his master, his body shaking in fear.

"P-p-please forgive me, Otokage-sama, b-but, I-I . . ." The Uchiha turned to face the trembling figure before him.

"HOW DARE YOU DISTURB ME IN THIS PLACE!!!!" The Shinobi bellowed, his face contorted in rage. Kiyoshi had never seen him show any emotion before, but this rage sent shock waves of horror into his bones.

Slowly, the Uchiha regained his composure and returned to his usual unreadable expression. But Kiyoshi knew he was in no less danger.

"Now," he said, withdrawing his katana and pressing the blade against the neck of his terrified servant, "What possible reason do you have for disobeying my direct order?"

"My Lord, p-please don't kill me! We . . . we I news t-that I thought you wanted"

"Oh?" he said, drawing a drop of blood from his neck. "And what might that be?"

"W-we have found Akatsuki!"

The Uchiha lowered the weapon and stared off into space. His eyes grew wide, eyebrows furrowed. The shards of insanity that lay beneath the surface of his skin penetrated his expression, revealing his madness to the world. A truly psychotic look spread across his face, one that Kiyoshi had never seen on any face before.

"Where?"

* * *

** A/N: Please comment! Flames, criticism, complements, suggetions, anything is wecome!**


	7. Assassination

**Disclaimer: Do you think I own Naruto? I highly doubt it.**

**A/N: The plot thickens!! Please R&R. For those of you who don't, I curse you to an eternity of Pokemon!**

"Is all going according to plan?"

"Yes Leader. The ninja world stands precariously on the edge of war. Civil war has broken out in the Wind country, and tensions between the Fire and Water countries continue to heighten. The Lightning and Earth countries are in battle as we speak. The Grass has been quite cooperative in our schemes. Everything is prepared. We are ready to leave in a week."

"And the Jinchuuriki?"

"We are still unaware of his position, but news has reached us that he is not longer in the Leaf."

"And the Sound?"

"The Sound remains a total mystery to us sir. It is still unknown who exactly rules that village, and its intentions are even more obscured."

"No matter. They shall not interfere in our plans."

"Sir, if I may have permission to speak?"

"Continue."

"Is it wise to proceed when we don't –"

"That is a minor setback. Soon, the world will ours, not doubt about it. You are dismissed."

"Very good sir."

"Oh, and Kisame?"

"Yes sir?"

"Try to control Itachi. To tell you the truth, I begin to fear the man."

"Absolutely sir."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Yo, Naoki, I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat."

A pair a grass nin stood the entrance of gambling room awaiting their client.

"But, but, our orders –"

"Fuck the orders. They can wait for us another ten minutes. Let's ditch this old geezer."

"But, Minoru – ok, fine. But if they get pissed, you're taking the blame."

"Yea, yea. Shut up you old wuss."

Several minutes later found the duo at a teashop. The two sat at the nearest table. A waitress with bright blue hair in a black kimono embroidered with light blue and whit flowers approached their table.

"May I help you two?"

"Yes. I'll have some sake, and my friend here will have some tea."

"Very well, I'll be back in a moment."

Naoki searched the shop warily with his eyes, seeking out any suspicious movement. He didn't know why, but something irked him about this place. Something wasn't quite right. He looked over at his comrade. Minoru had his arm draped over the back of his chair, his eyes wandering up and down the women in the shop, not a care in the world.

"Minoru, we shouldn't be here."

"Calm down, what's up with you today?"

"First of all, we have a mission. Second of all, they'll be pissed if we don't arrive in time. Thirdly, I have a bad feeling about something."

"You're such a worry wart. We'll finish here, then go finish our mission."

The blue haired waitress returned with a tray containing their drinks. She set them on the table, and just before leaving, reached into the sleeve of her kimono. Seeing this, Naoki whipped out a kunai and pressed it against her neck.

"What the hell is that, bitch?" The waitress stood frozen with a look of shock on her face. From her sleeve she revealed nothing but a piece white paper.

"I-it's your bill sir." Naoki's cheeks turned a deep shade of red.

"Oh, sorry."

"See, I told you there's nothing to worry about."

Naoki removed the kunai from the poor girl's neck and sat down, the weight of humiliation bearing down on him. The blue haired women turned to leave, but not before secretly slipping a packet of white powder into one of the drinks.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Minoru had his feet propped comfortably on the table, eyes closed, happily sipping his sake. For whatever reason, his friend had been silent for the past couple of minutes. This was odd, to say the least, but his enjoyed the worry wart's seize fire of verbal abuse and paranoid ranting. After a while, he opened one a just a crack to take a look at the ninja sitting next to him. He had his head lying flat on the table, a thread of drool dripping from his lip.

"Oi, Naoki, ya ok?"

The afore-mentioned ninja grumbled something inaudible. Concerned, Minoru took his feet off the table and prodded him gently with a finger.

"You ok?"

"No, I'm not ok, you friggin bastard!" His words were heavily slurred.

"Why?"

Naoki lifted his head slightly off the table and stared at his teammate with half-lidded eyes.

"I already told you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Here we are sitting in a fucking tea shop when we need to be taking the Feudal Lord to Akatsuki, and we have an important message to deliver and they're gonna kill us and here we are sitting in a God damned tea shop when we should be –"

Minoru slapped his hand across the man mouth.

"Naoki, what the hell has gotten into you? Do you want everyone to know what we're doing? Is that even tea you're drinking?"

Tentatively, he brought Naoki's teacup up to his nose and took a sniff. His face cringed almost instantly.

"Shit, it's drugged. Come on, we're leaving."

He grabbed him by the collar and dragged the delirious shinobi out the door.

Meanwhile, the blue haired girl hid janitor's closet and formed a seal with her hands. In a puff a smoke, the waitress disappeared, replaced by a women with brown hair tied in two buns and a white animal mask. She pressed her hand to her ear and whispered into a radio.

"Captain, the target has left. I have learned that the Feudal Lord they are traveling with is to meet with Akatsuki. They also carry with them a message. I placed a tracking seal on one of them."

"Good work Tenten. Scout the area for anymore ninja, and leave the rest to us."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A very cantankerous looking old man in elaborate robes stood with his arms crossed and tapping his right foot in contempt. He shot a death glare at the two incompetent excuses for shinobi before him.

"Where on earth were you two? I have a meeting with the 'Feudal Lord' of the 'Fire country' and I don't wish to be late."

"Excuse us sir, but we got tipped off about a possible attempt at your life and had to take care of the situation"

The three men set off towards the main road in the town on the way to the "Fire country" as the old man had put it. They took a left at a small avenue, and a right down a dark alley, which would eventually take them to the road that led out of the town. Suddenly, Naoki let out a scream and fell to the ground.

"Naoki!" Minoru called out for his friend. Turning around, he saw the shinobi lying dead, blood spilling from a kunai in his back.

"Shit, we have attackers. My lord, get behind me."

A kunai flew in from his side. He dodged it effectively, moving to the right. Suddenly, part of the wall above jutted out, knocking him in the head. Minoru caught himself before falling, and spun around to see the condition of the Feudal Lord. Instead of seeing his master, he found himself face-to-face with a pink haired kunoichi in a mask. That was the last thing he saw.


	8. Chronicles of the Wave Country

**Disclaimer: Do I look like Kishimoto-san?**

**A/N: This is a bit of a filler, but seeing as there is to be blood shed and misery in this story, I thought it would be cut to add this chapter.**

"INARI!!!!!"

A yellow haired man burst through the front door, conveniently forgetting how to knock. The black haired boy looked up from his lunch to find a group of four standing in the doorway. Beside the blond man stood another man with gray hair and a mask, a black haired man, and a dark haired woman.

"NARUTO!"

Inari leapt at the blond, crushing him in his grip.

"I think you have us mistaken for someone else. I am Akio, this is my wife Ami, and the two men behind me are our escorts, Hideki and Isamu. My wife and I are nobles from the Country of Wind here to meet with the Feudal Lord of the Wave country." Inari cocked his head in confusion. Seeing this, Naruto winked and said, "It's good to see you squirt," and ruffled the raven-haired kid's hair.

"You too, 'Akio-sama'. Please come in."

Inari left the room and returned moments later with his grandfather and mother.

"Ojiisan, Okaasan, this Akio-sama and Ami-sama from the Wind, and their escorts Hideki-san and Isamu-san."

"Ohayo, Tazuna." The silver haired man greeted, hand raised in his trademark salutation. All seven of the sat at a table in the kitchen, Naruto and Kakashi catching up with old friends, Hinata and Sai making new ones.

"So, why are nobles here in this modest town?" Tazuna asked Kakashi.

"We told you, to meet with your Feudal Lord."

"No, I mean, why must you four fake your identities?"

"I'm not allowed to disclose this information, but Konoha greatly appreciates your cooperation."

"Oh. And if you don't mind my asking, where's that little pink haired brat from before?"

"She has her own mission. You know, she's now the captain of her own squad now."

"Huh. Never thought she had it in her. And what about that self-important gloomy kid, what's his name, Sasuke?"

Upon hearing this name, Naruto stopped his conversation with Inari and stared at his hands resting on the table. Hinata wrapped an arm around Naruto's shoulders to comfort him.

"He . . . couldn't be with us.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Did he die?"

"Most likely."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Hinata**

Hinata walked the streets of the town, a basket of groceries hanging on her arm. These long elegant robes bothered her to end. She should be used to them, coming from a noble family herself, but she still felt constricted. The hem was dragging on the ground, absorbing mud like a sponge.

She was awakened from her musing by a scream some distance away. Running towards the scream, she found herself staring down a dark alley at a little crying girl surrounded by a group of four boys.

"Give that to me!"

"No! It's a present from my Okaasan, please!"

The boy snatched the object from the girl's hands and stared at it.

"Aww, how cute, a stuffed bunny! With ears large enough to match yours!" He boxed her ears, causing the girl to scream from pain.

"Now, wouldn't this doll look much better without such an ugly head?"

"No!" With that, the boy tore the doll's head clean off and dumped it in a mud puddle. The girl burst into tears, gathering up the broken pieces of her best friend. Another boy pulled his fist back to punch her, but a hand stopped his blow. Turning around, he found himself staring into a pair of pupil-less eyes.

"Leave her alone."

"Ha, what could a woman do about it?"

Suddenly, a boy behind her pulled a knife out of sleeve and lunged at her. Hinata caught his wrist in her iron grip, and kicked him in the stomach sending him flying backwards. Another boy tried to kick her, but she hit him square in the chest using the jyuuken jutsu. The boy fell in a crumpled heap, hands clutching at hi chest.

"Let's get out of here!" And with that, the boys took off running in all directions. Hinata stooped down before the crying figure before her.

"My name's Hin – uh, Ami. What's yours?

The girl sniffled and replied softly, "Chiyo."

"Chiyo. That's a pretty name. Can I see your friend there?" Chiyo reluctantly handed over the pieces of her beloved bunny to the woman before her.

"Is Usagi-san gonna die?"

"Not if I have anything to do about it."

She pulled back the hem of the robe revealing the shuriken holster attached to her thigh.

"Are . . . are you a ninja?"

"Shh, don't tell anyone, ok?"

Chiyo nodded her head eagerly to the woman. She watched on in wonderment as the pretty lady with strange eyes pulled a senbon needle from her shuriken holster. Using her own hair and the throwing needle as a makeshift sewing kit, she proceeded to stitch up Usagi-san's neck.

"There, you go, all better."

'But how will he heal? He needs to heal."

"Oh, of course. Silly me." She then wrapped up the stuffed rabbit in bandages from head to toe.

"Much better. Remember to change his dressings once a day for three days. Then he'll be all better."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Chiyo dried her eyes and wrapped her little arms around the woman's neck and pecked her cheek.

"Arigato, Ami-san."

The woman smiled back at her. Taking Chiyo's hand, she said, "Let's get you home. Where do you live?"

"On the other side of the town."

"Well, let's go!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Naruto**

Tazuna sighed as he watched the seconds tick by on the clock on his wall. Oh joy. Yet another unsuccessful day.

Suddenly a yellow blob burst through the front in a most ungraceful manner.

"Yo Tazuna, I finally found you! You see, I turned on the faucet in the bathroom, when suddenly a giant fish leapt through the window and knocked the whole sink clean off the wall so now your house is kinda flooding. Hehe. By the way, where are we?"

"This is my restaurant. Ever since Gatou left the village, I haven't been able to find work as a bridge builder, so I started my own restaurant. But, as you can probably see, it's not too successful."

Curious, Naruto picked up a menu laying on the table.

"Oh, I know the problem!"

"What?"

"Not enough Ramen duh!" Naruto promptly earned himself a smack on the head for that.

Some time later, after much arguing over ramen and redecorating, Naruto and Tazuna stood eagerly awaiting costumers. The menu was now entirely devoted to ramen, and images of steaming bowls were painted (poorly) on the walls. However, none seemed to arrive. Quite peeved by the time and money spent redoing his restaurant, Tazuna sent Konoha's #1 hyperactive knuckle-head ninja the most deadliest of death glares.

"Nani?"

"It's. Not. WORKING YOU BAKA! First you come in here with some crackpot story about a fish destroying my house, and now I waste money on nothing! Why they didn't kill you at birth I'll never know."

"Yeesh, you don't have to get so mad. Hmmm, what to do? Oh, I've got an idea!"

"I bet you ten bucks it won't work.'

"You're on!"

A family of three was on their way to the grocery store when they stopped a new-looking ramen stand. Through the window, they could see that the entire restaurant was full, ever single table taken. And at each table sat a person eating – no – _inhaling_ a bowl of ramen.

"Wow, this place must be pretty good."

"Yeah, let's try it."

Soon, people were lined up around the block eager to get a taste of what must have been very good ramen.

"Wow _Akio_, you're bunshins must've worked."

"I guess they did. You owe me ten bucks."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Snot-nosed brat."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Sai**

Sai leaned against the railing staring out at the bridge on the water. It seemed so peaceful, yet so grand. It shot itself out from the background, demanding attention from the onlooker. Strange indeed. It melted so perfectly with the village, seemed somehow so perfect for it. Yet, somehow, something about it grasped at your heart, leading your eye towards it. Perhaps it was the sheer beauty of the bridge. Or perhaps part of its past that lingers in the present. Like a work of art, it stood out. _This would make a nice painting._

At length, a stranger walked past and took note of the man standing by himself near the water.

"Nice bridge isn't it?"

"Hai."

"You're one of the Sand nin here, right?"

"Uh, hai."

"This bridge is called the Great Naruto Bridge. A perfect name in my opinion." Sai was taken aback. Surely he did not mean Uzumaki Naruto. And surely he didn't mean a piece of fish cake.

"Why is that?"

"Well, you see, nine years ago a man named Gatou took hold of our village. He monopolized trade, and through his control of the market sent us into poverty and oppression. Then, Tazuna the bridge builder came to our village accompanied by four Leaf ninja. Tazuna built this bridge to give of freedom of commerce, but the villagers lived in fear of Gatou. It was the bravery of one ninja, Uzumaki Naruto, that inspired us to fight back against Gatou and gain our freedom."

"I see. A very fitting name to be sure." So, Team Seven had been to this town before.

Now he understood it. The reason for the bridge to be so . . . commanding that is. It was the message of hope and courage it held. _A nice painting indeed._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Kakashi**

Kakashi walked the streets alone, his nose stuck behind an orange book. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed things. Things like children playing, wearing more than rags and consisting of more than skin and bone. Things like buildings with walls, and doors with hinges, and windows with glass. Things like grocery stores with more than two pieces of celery. Things like hope in the eyes of the people he past by.

This placed had changed considerably. Life seemed like more than suffering to these people now. Such happiness could be seen everywhere, but he could not enjoy it. He found his thoughts wandering to a place far beyond the reaches of this Country of Waves. He found he could no longer even concentrate on the words in his book, compelling though they were.

A small child bumped into his leg and fell to the floor. Without looking up from his book, he helped the child up to his feet and continued walking. A woman accidentally knocked a box out a window above him. Without averting his gaze, he caught the box and set it on the floor. Someone yelled something at him, but he pretended not to hear. Thoughts were buzzing in his mind that he just could not shake.

Throughout dinner, Kakashi sat to himself, not touching his food and focusing on the same page of text he had been reading hours ago. Someone, probably Tsunami, was scolding him for reading such scandalous material at the table. But he didn't pay heed. What was wrong with him? A shinobi was not to let himself get so distracted. It was dangerous.

Later that night, Kakashi found himself sitting on the balcony overlooking the ocean, his perverted book finally away from his face. But he could not enjoy the way the moonlight played off the water, making it glow with ethereal beauty. He was worried.

No, he shouldn't be worried. She was a top nin for kami-sama's sake. But, then again, so were They. No, he musn't doubt her. He knew he underestimated her. Everyone did. Which gave her incredible advantage over adversaries. But They would not make that mistake. Why should he be so worried about _her_ though? There were many other of his friends on many such dangerous missions.

The sound of shoes against wood reached his ears as a figure approached from the warmth of the house. But Kakashi didn't bother to look up.

"Kakashi-sensei, may I talk to you?" The voiced reached his ears revealing the owner to be Hinata.

"Sure."

Hinata sat down on the balcony next to her teacher. Several minutes passed as both tried to admire the serene beauty of the endless water before them.

"Kakashi-sensei, what sort of mission do you think Sakura is on?" Astonished, the copy nin turned to face his pupil.

"I don't know, but it must be concerning Akatsuki I'm sure."

"Do you think she'll be alright?"

"I know she's your friend, but it's not wise to underestimate her Hinata."

"I know, but I can't help it. I have this bad feeling that I can't shake."

"So do I."

**A/N: There are two ways this story could go. It could have a relatively "happy" ending (which would be a little longer probably) or a tragic ending. Tell me what you think!!**


	9. Mission

**Disclaimer: Yeay, don't own Naruto, Do I seriously have to keep doing this?**

**A/N: Feel free to punch me in the face for the long wait. Review or else! **

Tsunade stared out the window of her office, seeing nothing off what lay beyond the walls of this prison they call a room. She slowly sipped a cup of tea that she cradled in her hands, barely noticing how it scalded her tongue. Something wasn't right. Her plans weren't falling into place as she had expected.

"_The mission of your sister's team failed, but it did bring back important news, distressing thought it may be. You see, Akatsuki is yet again on the move. It seems the stars are once again in alignment, and they now seek the Kyuubi."_

"_You think they will attack Konoha?"_

"_No. At least, not until they have the Kyuubi. So for the time being we're safe. But we must get Naruto out of Konoha, and make sure they don't get to him."_

"_And you want me to go with him?"_

_"No. I have a different mission for you." The hokage pulled a scroll out from a drawer in her desk and unrolled it, revealing a map with several large circles on it. "You are to scout these marked areas where Akatsuki members have been sighted, and report any findings to us directly. And if possible, kill any that you meet. As long as they don't have the Kyuubi, they will not attack, we know this much. The information you gather will be crucial in helping us protect Naruto from danger."_

She was wrong. How could she be wrong? Even Shikamaru agreed with her.

"Sorry I'm late Tsunade-sama. What is it?" asked Shizune as she burst through the door panting.

"I have just received some disturbing news from Sakura. She and her team intercepted two grass nins and a Commander of the grass village disguised as a feudal lord. It seems from the information divulged by these three that the grass village is working with Akatsuki. Not only that, but several military bases have been established around the Known World. Send a message to Sakura to infiltrate one of these bases and report the plans of Akatsuki and the Grass back to Konoha immediately."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama. Do you believe they will strike soon?"

"No. It would be foolish for them to attack without a full arsenal of demons. But I hadn't expected them to have a full ninja village at their disposal. This might turn out to be quite a nuisance."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Four shinobi landed in a clearing in the middle of a forest, each one wearing a different animal mask.

"Taro, Jiro, Ten Ten, when we reach the base spread out and stay hidden. We need disguises, so either kill or bind a grass shinobi and transform into him. Remember, we need our presence to go unnoticed, so don't do anything stupid."

"Hai, Sakura-teichou!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Taro wandered about the military camp in his new body. It had been several days since they arrived, and yet no information about Akatsuki's plans had been revealed. The four leaf shinobi had taken the form of lower ranking Chuunin to best avoid detection, and it seemed that only those of the highest ranks knew the plan.

He made his way through the crowd of busy shinobi, intent on gaining some sort of information. He had a plan. He would infiltrate the Commander's makeshift headquarters, no more than a simple tent lost amongst a sea of other, identical tents, and search for a scroll, or an encoded message, anything they could use. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Every day they spent in enemy territory increased their risk of getting caught. And their risk of death. But most importantly, the risk of failing their mission.

As he approached the Commander's tent, a pair of black-cloaked figures appeared in his peripheral vision. Taro instinctively leapt behind a rock to avoid detection, but on second thought, why did he need to hide? He was already disguised as a grass nin.

The two mysterious figures disappeared into the tent, and Taro appeared from behind the rock and approached a little closer in hopes of catching a bit of conversation. But the words were strangely muffled, crackling and sizzling in his ear. A chakra sound barrier. Could the Commander suspect something? Or maybe they were simply didn't trust their underlings. In any case, this did not bode well for his team. Increased security meant decreased likelihood for the success of Konoha's elite Assassination Squad.

After half an hour, the black-cloaked figures emerged from the tent, accompanied by three of the nine Commander members. The Commander, Taro had learned, was a committee of shinobi of the grass village whose combined power outweighed that of the village's kage himself. The two figures they escorted he recognized as Akatsuki by their cloaks. One had long blue hair with a flower tucked behind her ear; the other tied his black hair in a ponytail at the base of his neck. Taro's heart practically stopped. Uchiha Itachi.

One of the Commanders saw him standing close to the tent.

"What the hell are you doing just standing there, maggot? There's work to be done, you know that! Get off your lazy ass and get back to work!"

But Taro's feet wouldn't move. He just stood there, shaking in terror. Uchiha Itachi! Slowly, at least it seemed slow to Taro, the Uchiha turned his head to face him. Taro found himself face-to-face with the infamous criminal who single-handedly killed the Konoha's most powerful clan. For a second, Taro hoped he would merely turn around and continue on his way. But instead of satisfying his hopes, a frown deepened on Itachi's face.

Suddenly, a kunai crossed the distance between the group of five and the solitary Konoha nin. Taro spluttered blood, and looked down to find a gash running from his right shoulder to his left waist.HIs vision became blurred, his legs weakened. No longer able to support himself, Taro fell to his knees

"Itachi! What did you do that for?" screamed an infuriated Commander. Her faced had flushed bright red, veins pulsing on her neck. "He's one of our soldiers! How dare you disrespect our allies, you –"

A chuckle erupted from the throat of the blue-haired woman standing next to Itachi cutting the Commander off mid-sentence, and a murderous, blood-lusting smile spread across her face.

"Well, well, Itachi. It seems those eyes of yours are useful. Looks like I get to have a bit of fun today!"

A dizzying, nauseating sensation erupted in Taro's stomach as he watched his reflection in the pool of his own blood forming at his feet. He lost control of the henge jutsu, revealing his true form. Three Commanders, and two Akatsuki. This was the end.


	10. The Three Commanders

Disclaimer: There is a genius in the world who through the sheer power of imagination and creativity created an empire of devout followers who worship him and the characters he creates and the stories he tells them. That empire is Naruto. That genius is Masashi Kishimoto. I am not him.

**A/N: Review please, so that I don't feel so empty inside. :( Spoiler warning for those who don't read the manga.**

This was the end. Taro looked up at the five figures through his half-lidded, blurry vision. How? He hadn't even seen that kunai coming. He trained for the last twenty-five years, always striving to be the best, to serve his village, his kage. He trained until he could train no more, then would study the texts of the great ancient nin, absorbing every last bit he could on battle tactics and the physics of combat. Well versed in ninjutsu and taijutsu, at the age of twenty-two he was selected from all the ANBU to be a member of Konoha's elite assassination squad, under the command of the legendary Haruno Sakura. But all for nothing. Here, he would die from a single throw of the kunai. And even worse, he would fail this sacred mission.

The three Commanders charged at him, katanas in hand. Taro shut his eyes, not wishing to see the last seconds of precious life. The screeching grating of metal-on-metal reached his ears. The blade of the katanas had probably pierced the metal plating on his chest. But when no further pain came and he continued to draw breath Taro opened an eye tentatively.

"Ten . . . Ten?"

A brown haired girl in a white mask was standing between him and three menacing blades of wrought steel, warding off death wit a summoned shield.

"Can't leave a comrade to die, now can we?"

"Jiro!"

A man in a bird mask appeared in a cloud of smoke next to Ten Ten, his hands already forming seals. With a single, swift movement, Ten Ten thrust her shield forward, sending the Commanders flying feet into the air.

A warm feeling seeped into his right shoulder. Slowly at first but soon it began to grow, replacing the life lost with his blood. The pain shrunk away in fear of the warmth, retreating into the dark hell of its origins. He could feel the tissue of his wound stitch itself back together. When enough strength had returned and his vision had cleared, Taro looked over his right shoulder at the source of this warmth.

"Sakura-teichou!"

"Sleep, Taro." And with that simple command, Taro drifted off into slumber.

"Hehe, look at the suckers we have hear!" exclaimed the blue-haired woman, her crazy smile widening. "I _do_ get to have fun today!"

She made a movement to step forward, but Itachi placed a heavy hand on her shoulder.

"Calm, Shinju. These weaklings aren't worth the effort. If they survive the Commanders, then maybe they can offer you some entertainment."

"Very well, _Itachi_" she growled, with particular emphasis on "Itachi'. Somehow, it seemed that she didn't just _say_ his name, but the word that came out of her mouth was something more, had some strange, twisted power behind it.

"We shall see if these three are worthy to entertain me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Three figures stood at the entrance to a hallway, one nervously tapping her foot on the floor, another fidgeting with the sword on his back, and the third staring blankly at the ancient timber before him. A great wood door loomed up before them, trying desperately to contain the radiating bloodlust within. But the three could still feel it, a nauseating, dizzying, chilling feeling.

Slowly, the door creaked on its decaying hinges, opening outward to unleash a swallowing darkness from within. The three walked the length of the hall, numerous oil lamps on either side set ablaze. It was not a long walk by any means, perhaps only 20 or 25 paces from the entrance. But each step was more painful than the last, each fearing a future grave.

They reached the end of the hall and stood before a throne enshrouded in shadow. Not a grand throne at all, merely an old chair placed atop an elevated section of ground. Before the throne, a massive eight by ten foot map lay sprawled on the ground, covered in marks, arrows, and circles.

"It's been years hasn't it, since we were all together, eh Suigetsu? Karin? Juugo?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Commanders recovered quickly from the shock of having been thrown through the air. They stood up and lunged, the metal of their blades glinting in the sun. Jiro completed his hand signs, and a massive wall of rock jutted out from the ground to block them. The three leapt over the rock, each aiming for one of the three konoha nin.

Suddenly, one appeared behind Ten Ten, katana held high to strike. She wiped around and summoned a katana of her own. A great shower of sparks erupted as metal struck metal. Ten Ten stepped back and aimed for the knees. The Commander leapt into the air to avoid the strike, but was met by an onslaught of summoned arrows. The Commander dodged the arrows, landed to the right of Ten Ten, and charged, katana poised to kill and hands flashing signs. Ten Ten repositioned her crossbow and fired. A poisoned arrow seemed to grow out of the Commander's left arm, and his hand fell to his sides, signs never completed. The wound itself was nothing, a pinprick in a limb. But a stinging, numbing pain spread from his arm to the rest of his body, his vision faded, and heart lost the strength to beat.

Jiro's opponent was giving him much more trouble. Already his was missing a finger, and blood was dripping down from a wound on his head and obscuring the vision in his left eye.

"Hahaha! So _this_ is the power of Konoha! This war will not take long at all!" With that, the Commader struck again, Jiro only barely managing to avoid the blade. The katana lodged itself into the ground and would not come free. An opening! In those seconds that the Commander struggled to free his katana, Jiro formed several hand seals. The ground began to shake, and a wall of earth raced towards the Commander. However, instead of crushing him, the wall crumbled in a whirl of electricity. The commander lunged again, having freed his katana. Jiro dodged, and kicked the man in the stomach. He lost his wind, and fell to his knees trying to recover his breath. Jiro whipped out a kunai and stabbed him in the head.

Sakura tossed several kunai at the Commander, and one lodged itself in the Commander's thigh. She swung her blade at Sakura, but hit nothing but thin air. The pink-haired kunoichi leapt into the air, her hands forming seals. She made a movement to toss something, but to the Commander it seemed as though nothing had happened. She leapt into the air too, an exploding tag in her hand. Sakura crushed her hand in her strong grip and the tag fell harmlessly to the ground. The Commander ignored the pain in her hand, but could not ignore the strange, nauseating sensation in her stomach. Something wasn't right. She lunged with her katana again, stopped before Sakura could parry the blow, spun around so that she was behind her, and swung. The blade cut through Sakura's leg like butter, severing it completely. The Konoha ninja fell to the ground screaming, her leg lost forever. The Commander smirked as she made the final blow, the one that would end her enemy's life forever. The blade pierced through Sakura's head, and she laughed as Sakura took her last breath.

But the Commander's laughter was cut short as pain erupted in her chest. The world around her melted away, swirling and spinning. The corpse of her enemy was no longer on the ground, but instead staring right at her. The Commander looked around and found that she hadn't moved at all since the kunai hit her leg.

"A . . .a g-genjutsu?"

"Yes."

With that, the commander fell to the ground, dead. Having defeated their first enemies, the three assassins turned towards the Akatsuki, each poised for battle.

"Now can I kill them, Itachi-_sama?_" purred the Shinju, her voice saturated with malice and sickeningly sweet, like the scent of rotting flesh.

"Yes, Shinju. I guess they are worthy."

Shinju's smile widened further, and she let out a cackling laugh as she formed a single handsign. The corpses of the three dead Commanders suddenly spurred into life, standing up with their bloody, broken bodies.

"H-how?" muttered Jiro as horror spread across the faces of the three Konoha nin.

The blue-haired Akatsuki cackled again, obviously amused by the terror of her prey.

"Now you shall see the power of the last Necromancer!"

* * *

** Review of I will eat your face!**


	11. River of Death

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. The Necromancer and Death were inspired by the Abhorsen trilogy, a very good series of books I also do not own.**

**A/N: Please review; I'd rather not hurt anyone . . . **

She cackled again, obviously amused by the terror of her prey.

"Now you shall see the power of the last Necromancer!"

"A Necromancer!" Ten Ten hissed, her fear turning into rage. "That practice was outlawed centuries ago! Raising the dead and forcing them to obey your will . . .that's sick! The Dead are meant to stay Dead!"

The bloodthirsty expression on Shinju's face melted into mock-sympathy, a look even more disgusting than her twisted smile.

"Aw, I'm sorry, I didn't realize. Surely I can't be all that bad . . . But it certainly can't be all that surprising. Haven't you ever wondered where Orochimaru learned his immortality jutsu?"

Sakura felt her heart stop for a brief second. "Orochimaru?"

"Yes," continued Shinju as she pulled a scroll from her sleeve, "He wasn't very good. He was impatient, and insistent that I teach him advanced stuff before he earned the respect of the River. But it certainly was refreshing not to be the only Necromancer left. Too bad he had to get himself killed by that little brat of his. No offence Itachi."

Itachi visibly tensed for a brief moment, but whatever was going on in that sick head of his no one could tell. Sakura dropped her fists by her sides. She didn't know what to think. _Sasuke-kun? Alive?_ A swarm of thoughts, questions, and emotions buzzed inside her head all at once, robbing her of whatever sanity she had left. Was this relief? Disappointment? Anger?

"Don't drift off now, I want to have fun before I kill you!' growled Shinju as she opened the scroll revealing a single character written in black ink: Corpse. She bit her thumb, and whipped the black-red blood across the paper. The ground began to crumble, as distorted, bloody, rotting beings began to emerge from the crumbling earth.

A wave of déjà vu washed over Sakura as the freshly summoned, reeking corpses emerged from the ground, each with a vacant stare, minds devoid of free will. For a brief instant, Sakura saw herself standing alone in a gray, misty river with Shinju. The water tugged fiercely at her calves, seeping the warmth from her body and wishing to draw her under. As soon as that vision came, it was gone. She new what this meant, and what must be done.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Sakura wandered through the Hokage's library yet again, bored out of her wits. Tsunade-sama refused to train her or let her train at all with a broken arm, so she buried herself in the books of the library. Sakura browsed the shelves but found nothing of interest. _Guide to Human Physiology?_ No, read that. _Water Jutsu for Beginners?_ No, read that too. She could find nothing she hadn't read before._

_The door at the opposite hall caught her attention. It seemed to call her, beg her to read the numerous forbidding books it held. She thought about it for a second, but it would be wrong. That was the Forbidden Room, filled with texts that only the Hokage was allowed to touch. But what could be so dangerous about a book?_

_Sakura found her feet slowly moving her towards the door, and watched as her hand turned the doorknob and pushed inward. She was greeted by a cloud of dust, and covered her eyes with her forearm to keep the invading particles out. She coughed once or twice, and when the dust settled she opened an eye. _

_She walked into the dark room, which obviously had never been visited by the cleaning staff. She traced the spines of the ancient texts with her finger, and browsed through the myriad of scrolls. _Forbidden Jutsu of the Third Rank, Nature of Yin, Demons, Spirits, and Other Beasts . . ._ so many dangerous and exciting titles! Where to begin?_

_Sakura's finger paused at one particular book. It was old, older than many of the others of the books, and thick, but it was the title the caught her attention. _The Book of the Dead.

_She read chapter after chapter, hardly aware of the movement of her hand when she turned a page over, loosing herself entirely to the book._

_Sakura read on and on, not perceiving the passage of time. The book told her strange things. Death, it seems is perceived differently by everyone, but the journey to the Land of the Dead is always the same. It is a river. Ironic, really, that something so life-giving as water would personify the journey to Death. But then again, it made perfect sense. _

_The book also told her about the nature of the Dead, how they could be awakened and controlled, how their minds operated, how they could be sent back to Death._

_And it also told her how a living person could enter Death._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The vision of the River faded from Sakura's mind. She knew how to send the Dead back, but the jutsu would take time.

"Jiro, Ten Ten, cover me. I know what to, but it will take some time"

"Hai, Sakura-teichou!"

Sakura took the needed stance, holding her arms out to either side, and entered a deep trance.

Meanwhile, Ten Ten and Jiro fought to ward off the Dead army. Jiro formed several hand signs and wall of earth erupt from the ground, crushing several of the dead to a pulp. While he lifted another chunk of earth to crush them again, Ten Ten pulled two scrolls out of her sleeves. She set them down on either side of her and leapt high into the air. The scrolls unraveled in the air around her and, spinning rapidly, Ten Ten summoned a barrage of weapons. Katanas, kunai, poison arrows, and weapons too strange to have names rained down upon the Dead. Heads, arms, legs were severed, and yet the dead kept coming. In the distance, Shinju sickly cackle echoed over the sound of battle.

Eventually, one Dead leapt over Jiro's wall of earth, biting him on the neck.

"Jiro!" Ten Ten called. In her moment of distraction, something struck her from behind and she fell, unconscious. Calling her name, Jiro forced the Dead thing off of him and crawled to her aid.

Sakura opened her eyes. The jutsu was ready. She placed her thumb and middle finger at the corners of mouth and uttered a long, shrill whistle. The note pierced the very air around her, reverberating in the bones of those still living. Already she could feel the God of Death answer her, but it would take many more notes to fully summon it. She drew a long breath in preparation for the next note in her song, when a Dead thing approached her.

Sakura stared. The Dead thing had a kunai protruding from its skull, coagulated blood caked into its hair. She recognized its face. Horror seeped deep into Sakura's body with a sudden realization.

It was her sister.

How dare she? How dare this woman use her own sister, her own flesh and blood against her will?

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but a bizarre feeling arose in her side. It was pain. Sakura watched blood spurted out of the wound above her right hips. Slowly, her vision failed her. She did not feel the ground when it hit her face.


	12. Prison Cell

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto **

**A/N: Cookies for those who review As a warning, this may be a little gory. Hehe.**

Ten Ten awoke in an empty room. The walls were made of stone, which did not help to relieve the pain in her aching head. Propping herself up on her elbows, she examined her new surroundings. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, Ten Ten realized that the room was not as empty as she first thought. There were chains with hooks hanging from the ceiling, and a rack of odd-looking metal tools in the far corner.

Ten Ten tried to stand up, but her throbbing head wouldn't allow her. Ten Ten was trained well. She knew what to do in these situations. How to escape, to make herself disappear in a crowd, how to best withstand torture. But she knew that she was too weak to escape. For now. Ten Ten knew exactly what to do in this situation. She took off her vest and used it as a pillow. There was no sense running around with a pounding headache. The best she could do was sleep and let herself heal. Besides, what would be the point in torturing an unconscious prisoner?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Sakura was floating, but she did not know where. The water was cold, the coldness freezing the marrow in her bones. She was tired. Oh so very tired. Too tired to struggle against the current. She resigned herself to the will of the water, letting it take her where it will._

_Whether it had been ten seconds or ten years she did not know, but eventually she floated up to a rocky shore. She could feel the Death God all around her, but could see nothing but grey mist and water. Hands grabbed at her shoulders, her arms, her clothes and lugged her out of the River. _

_She could see faces all around her. Some were pale with a faint purplish color. Some were bleeding. Some were too mangled to be recognized. But she knew none of them. She had floated down the River and was dumped in a random corner of Death. It was crowded. Oh so crowded. And cold._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A door burst open, the clamor awakening Ten Ten from her slumber. A man walked through the heavy wooden door to her cell, carrying a metal container. He dropped it on the floor, walked over to the rack in the far corner, and selected several of the bizarre tools.

He dropped the tools next to the metal container and sat down, leaning his back against the wall by which Ten Ten lay. She sat up, the pain in her head having lessened with sleep.

Ten Ten knew the drill. This man would sit by her and informally engage her in conversation. Then, when she had dropped her guard slightly, he would attack, subjecting her to unimaginable pain in the hopes that she would talk. She knew it all. She had done it herself to several prisoners back in Konoha.

The man beside her sighed and rubbed his temples. He had long blond hair and wore a patch-like object over one eye. She could tell by his cloak that he was Akatsuki. He sighed again and turned to face her.

"My name is Deidara. Don't bother introducing yourself, your's is Ten Ten. A very nice name, I think" Deidara extended his hand, but when Ten Ten refused to shake it he continued talking.

"Poor girl, it seems that you're now the last member of your team. Your comrade Jiro died in torture a couple minutes ago." Deidara paused, waiting for a response, but Ten Ten's placid face revealed nothing. However calm she may have seemed, her mind swirled in torment. Dead? Really, could they all be dead? How? How could anything kill the legendary Haruno Sakura, or Jiro of the Earth, or Taro the genjutsu master?

"Don't worry, your friend died honorably," continued Deidara, "he revealed nothing to us. It's such a pity, really, that we have to do such things to such promising young warriors." He sighed again. The expression on his face truly seemed sad, remorseful, as if he actually cared about Ten Ten and her teammates. He was indeed a fantastic actor.

"How is your head?" he asked. Ten Ten gave him no response. "Does it still hurt?" No response. Deidara tried several more times to engage her in conversation, but her face remained tranquil and unmoving.

The Akatsuki sighed again, and stood up, making his way towards the tools on the floor.

"Such a shame, I'd really rather not do this," he said, selecting a tool with a broad, flat blade and the metal container. "Actually, I lied. I love doing this shit!"

He walked back over to Ten Ten and struck her over the head with the metal container. She fell to the floor, the pain in he head unbearable. She felt as though her skull would crack, and the ringing in her head would cause her ears to burst. Ten Ten tried to stand, managing to get to all fours, but Deidara kicked her in the stomach and caused her to collapse again.

He then grabbed her left wrist and plunged to broad blade of the tool into the flesh in her upper arm.

"Now tell me, where is Uzumaki Naruto?" Ten Ten said nothing. Deidara pressed a button on the handle and the blade split into two, forcing the wound open like opening the blades of a pair of scissors. Blood gushed from the open wound, flowing freely onto the floor. He flicked open the cap of the metal container and poured a liquid into her wound; it was lemon juice. Ten Ten screamed as the acidic liquid burned the inside of her flesh, the sound of the scream echoing off the walls.

"Where is Uzumaki Naruto?" Deidara asked again but, yet again, he received no response. He grabbed her right thigh with both hands and, using his leg, broke her femur. Ten Ten screamed again, and the pain swam around in her head making her dizzy.

"Where is Uzumaki Naruto?" When he received no answer a third time, he dragged her to where the chains hung from the wall. He pierced the calf of her good leg with the hook on the end of a chain and hoisted her up so that she was hanging, upside-down, her face level with his. He grabbed the metal container again and poured the lemon juice over her calf. The pain was the same, but this time she expected it and managed to hold in her scream.

"I'll ask you again. WHERE IS UZUMAKI NARUTO?" He shouted, anger flooding his voice. Ten Ten spat in his face. Deidara's face contorted with rage. In blind fury, he struck Ten Ten across the face and yanked her off the chain, leaving a good-sized chunk of flesh on the hook. Ten Ten looked down at her leg to find half of her left calf missing. She screamed louder than ever, and louder still when Deidara poured more lemon juice on her leg.

She couldn't move. Her body was broken. Deidara selected a new tool from the pile and approached her crumple form. He was about to make an incision when the door of the cell opened, revealing another Akatsuki member with a blue face, Kisame.

"Deidara, Jiro in cell nine has just talked. He has revealed the location of the jinchuuriki and the Leader has ordered an emergency meeting."

Relief flowed into Ten Ten as she heard news that Jiro was still alive. Then, another emotion. Resentment. How could he speak? How dare he dishonor the village?

Deidara dropped his weapon and walked over to Kisame. They talked in hushed tones, then left the room, locking the door behind them. Ten Ten felt a great relief at the temporary postponement of her torture and let a few tears fall down her cheeks in pain. She lay there, in a growing puddle of blood, and drifted to sleep.


	13. Knowledge

**Disclaimer: I ownth not the manga of Naruto**

**A/N: Wow, I'm on a roll here! I forgot how fun writing can be!**

Karin landed on a branch in the forest. It was approaching nightfall, and the dappled light that filtered in through the leaves had a rich, golden hue. A small breeze floated through the branches, taking the edge off the oppressive heat. Despite the beauty of her surroundings, Karin heart pounded and her skin sweat with anxiety. Three men were following her, one of whom she feared more than anything else. To think, five years ago she had been in love with this boy, but now all she felt in his presence was fear.

"Karin, what is it?" asked the Uchiha.

"I can sense Itachi's chakra emanating from an underground building several miles ahead. But the chakra is old, so we won't find him there."

"Very well then," said Sasuke, "we'll have to go investigate."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ten Ten was busy binding her wounds. She woke up after sleeping for who knows how long in a puddle of her own blood. Her head pounded and she was dizzy from excessive bleeding. Using the sharp metal tools in her cell, she cut her vest into strips of cloth. Despite the incredible pain, she used the lemon juice to clean her wounds, knowing that infection would be worse than any pain. After cleansing her wounds, Ten Ten wrapped them with the strips of cloth she cut. For now, the bleeding had stopped, but she had no idea what to do with her broken leg.

She leaned back against the wall of her cell and closed her eyes. Her whole body ached, but there was nothing she could do for now. She could here voices outside; guards talking to each other she supposed.

Ten Ten laid there for hours listening to them. She couldn't understand what they were saying, but the sound of voices was soothing in a way. Hours passed.

Suddenly, the sound of the voices gained a new tone of urgency. There was yelling, orders were being given. She heard a blood-curdling scream followed by others. The sound of metal striking metal reverberated through the walls. Footsteps. She heard a man running. The sound of his footsteps was getting closer. He was just outside her door when the man screamed.

More footsteps. By the sound of it four people were following this man. The footsteps stopped. They were so close to the door that she could hear everything with surprising clarity.

"WHERE IS ITACHI?" bellowed another man, hatred and rage saturating his voice. The voice was familiar but she could not place it.

"If you tell me where he is, I promise to spare your life," he said in a deceptively sweet tone.

"He . . . he . . . he went s-south. That's all I know, I swear! He w-went south t-towards a battle camp to . . . to speak with three of the Commanders." The wounded man stuttered.

"Thank you"

"W-w-wait, you said you'd spare me!" he pleaded

"I did say that."

Suddenly, the door to Ten Ten's cell blasted inward, flying clear off its hinges and crashing into the opposite wall. The sound of it echoed throughout the cell vibrating in Ten Ten's bones. She raised an arm to shield herself from the dust.

As the dust began to settle the man she heard entered the door followed by three others. It was none other than Uchiha Sasuke. His face was just as beautiful as it had been eight years before, but now bloodlust seemed to radiate from his body. It filled the air so thickly that Ten Ten thought she could cut it with a knife.

Sasuke approached the man whose broken body was entangled with the shards of wood and metal that once made a door. The man's limbs were still twitching, and Ten Ten could see that his eyes were wide open and pupils were dilated, tracking the movements of the Uchiha. Sasuke lifted his blood soaked katana and dealt the finishing blow. The man uttered a sigh as his last breath escaped his lungs.

The Uchiha turned his attention to the prisoner in the room. Ten Ten shut her eyes immediately lest she fall victim to the sharingan. As his footsteps grew closer, Ten Ten could feel her hands shake.

He was only a couple inches from her now. She could feel the heat come off his body as well as the bloodlust. She heard his shirt rustle as he extended out a hand. Ten Ten was prepared for the worst, but his touch was surprisingly gentle. He cupped her chin in his hand and turned her face towards his.

"Look at me Ten Ten," he said, but she didn't dare open her eyes. Sasuke applied pressure to the wound on her arm and she opened her eyes from the shock of pain. She did not find what she expected. There was no sharingan in his eyes.

"Ten Ten, there are only two Uchiha in the world. First, I will prove that I am an Uchiha, then I will prove that I am not Itachi." Sasuke stood up and turned around to face his comrades. Suddenly, the largest of them screamed and collapsed, holding his hands to his eyes. It was unmistakably the genjutsu of the sharingan. Then, Sasuke turned around and crouched by Ten Ten. A snake emerged from his sleeve and crawled its way up her leg. Unmistakably not a jutsu of Itachi's.

The snake wound itself around Ten Ten's broken thigh and squeezed. The pain was unbearable. It squeezed tighter and tighter until something in her leg seemed to snap. A bright white light filled her eyes along with the intolerable pain. Slowly her vision returned to her and the pain faded.

Looking down at her leg, Ten Ten saw that it was straight. The snake had actually realigned the bone in her leg and was now holding it still, applying even pressure all down her leg. She was sweating despite the cold in the cell and breathing heavily. It felt good. It was such a relief.

Sasuke crept closer still. She could now smell him now. It was a mixture of the scent of blood and the scent his own body produced. His shirt slipped off his shoulder. He seemed not to notice, but his comrades knew well what he was doing. He wrapped his arms around her waste and cradled her tortured body.

"Now Ten Ten, all the guards in this building were grass ninja. The Akatsuki are elsewhere. I need to find them. Is there anything you can tell me? What questions did they ask you?"

She didn't know why, and she thought herself insane, but for some reason Ten Ten felt that she could trust him. Despite the bloodlust.

"They asked me where Naruto is."

"Where is he?"

"I . . . I don't know, but I do know he's disguised as a Sand noble and travels with three others."

Suddenly Sasuke dropped her and walked out of the cell. The two others followed him, carrying the third who had fallen on the ground. Ten Ten was alone again. The snake holding her leg together disappeared. She looked around the room, searching for anything she could use to support her leg.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Uchiha-sama, what do we do now?" asked Karin.

Sasuke turned to face his servants.

"You three go back to Otogakure and assemble the troops. Karin, you are in charge of the first division, Suigetsu, you have the second division, and tell Juugo when he wakes up that he has the third division. It is time for the 'Operation' to begin. I will head south and continue searching for Itachi. Get moving."

The three disappeared in a cloud of dusty, leaving Sasuke alone in the forest. It was nighttime now, and the heat of the day had cooled a little, but there would be no sleeping for him.


	14. The Invasion Begins

**Disclaimer: What I said in every other chapter.**

**A/N: Review or I will eat your children (if you have children. Other wise I'll just eat you)**

Tsunade paced around her office. Something wasn't right. It just wasn't right. Hours before, she had sent a slug with a message to Sakura and still no answer. Tsunade couldn't remember the last time Sakura failed to answer.

She continued pacing. The teacup was scalding her hand, but that was the least of her worries. Five ANBU missions had failed in the past two weeks. That was simply unprecedented. And she feared that Sakura's mission may have failed as well.

Tsunade placed her teacup on her desk and sat down in her chair. Sakura, the girl that was the daughter she never had. She tried to imagine what it would be like not having Sakura running up and down these halls, but she couldn't. Tsunade hadn't been Hokage for even two weeks when the girl walked into her office pleading to be trained.

A cracking sound woke her from her reverie. Tsunade opened her eyes to find her teacup shattered where it lay on the desk, tea seeping into her papers. Something definitely was not right. The Hokage dashed out of her office. The cup was facing north when it shattered, so she decided to run for the north wall.

On her way, she ran into an exhausted Kurenai.

"Tsunade-sama –"

"What's going on?"

"Something has struck the North Wall, and the forest beyond it is on fire."

The experienced Hokage knew what this meant. Tsuande ran faster than she ever had, practically flying up the stairs of the wall. Looking over the edge, she saw what was causing the distress.

There was a catapult somewhere amongst the burning trees launching massive boulders at the wall. Each time a boulder struck the entire wall rumbled, throwing the guards off balance. But something else was bothering her more than the boulders. A forest fire this enormous could never start so instantaneously. There was only one explanation in her mind. Someone was trying to summon a demon.

"Tsuande-sama, what do we do?"

"There are no soldiers here, and boulders like this could never bring down this wall. For now this is nothing more than a distraction. Kurenai, raise the alarm and assemble the ANBU forces and jounin and prepare for an attack on the Western wall. Tell Shizune to summon back all the ninja currently on missions. We are under attack."

"Tsunade-sama, what if they try to summon a demon?"

"When they do, it will be my responsibility to defeat it."

Kurenai knew what the Hokage meant by this. It seemed that the events of twenty years ago were about to repeat themselves. With a sad expression on her face, Kurenai bowed to Tsunade and took off.

Tsunade was about to head back to her office to prepare her jutsu when a frog appeared by her side in a cloud of smoke.

"Tsunade-sama, Naruto sent me here. It seems that the Wave country is under attack."

"I see. So Akatsuki has begun its worldwide invasion without the Nine Tailed Fox. Where is Jiraiya, do you know?"

"He is just north of the Village Hidden in Mist."

"Tell him to make for the Wave Country and defend Naruto by any means necessary."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!"

With that the frog disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. So Akatsuki didn't have the Kyuubi. That would buy them some time, but if the Wave Country was under attack, then it wouldn't be long.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Houses burned and men, women, and children ran from their homes screaming in terror as two solitary men in cloaks walked the streets of the Wave Country: Uchiha Itachi and Kisame. Kisame held up a burning torch to yet another house and the two waited as its occupants fled the premises. A total of seven people escaped the burning building, two of whom Itachi recognized. Uzumaki Naruto and the famous Kakashi. The two other ninja with them he never met, but one of them he knew to be the newly appointed head of the Hyuuga clan.

Granted, Naruto had grown a little since they last met and had gotten over the acne that had plagued him during those awkward teenage years, but he still seemed to be the stupid, impatient boy that he always was.

"Kakashi-sensei, please take Naruto and Sai and run," said Hinata. Kakashi nodded to her and was about to turn when Naruto uttered a complaint.

"Wait, Hinata, there's no way you can fight these two alone!"

"I will stay with her," said Sai, "You two go. Now."

Kakashi silently agreed and dragged a protesting Naruto away from the battle scene. Kisame cackled and a self-confident smile spread across his face.

"Well this will be easy, won't it Itachi-san?" Itachi said nothing.

"Sai, you take Kisame, I'll handle Itachi."

"But Hinata –"

"No buts. I have the byakugan, Sai. As long as I have that, I don't need to look Itachi in the eye."

With that, Hinata turned her back to her opponent and assumed her stance, always keeping Itachi in her vision.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Uchiha Sasuke headed south as the hapless guard had said, but he had little other idea of where to go. If Naruto was disguised as a Sand noble, then most likely he would be staying with family under the pretext of having negotiations with some feudal lord. Question was: where would he be staying?

The moon was now in the highest part of the sky and the summer air had turned cold. Sasuke landed on a branch high up in the thick forest. It was possible that he could search the entire south and never find Naruto. It was also possible that once he did find Naruto, Itachi would not be with him. Sasuke paused for a moment to think what his next action should be.

Itachi. That goddamn brother of his. The man was undoubtably a plague upon this earth. Everything Sasuke had ever known and loved in his life was wiped out in a single night. By Itachi. His mother, his father, aunts and uncles and distant cousins he never met. Sasuke had nothing. And now his mind was broken. Sasuke knew this. He knew that he was psychopathic. Just like his brother had been. But that didn't matter. Only one thing permeated the Uchiha's mind, and that was his brother's blood.

A little ways off in the distance he could hear a river. He decided to find the river and refill his canteen. No point in finally meeting Itachi on the battlefield and then dying of thirst.

He arrived at the river and took a long gulp of the cold water. It was a little muddy and the mud sat heavy in his stomach, but it was better than nothing. After refilling his canteen, he stood up and wiped the excess water from his mouth with the back of his sleeve and took a look at his surroundings. With his sharingan, he could see an object lying on the bank of the river quite a distance downstream. He couldn't make out what it was from this distance, but his instinct told him to find out. His instinct had served him well in the past, so he took off downstream.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kisame struck first. He lunged forward, his massive sword grazing Sai's arm. Even as the shark scales on Kisame's famous sword passed through his skin, Sai could feel it drawing chakra from his body. Sai dodged a second blow and pulled an empty scroll and a brush from his vest. He scribbled something on the scroll and five inky snakes leapt off the paper, entangling Kisame in their grip.

Itachi lunged at Hinata. Even with her back turned towards him, she could still see Itachi's movements. The byakugan's vision pierced in every direction. She blocked his blow and tried to hit him with her juuken, but Itachi grabbed her wrist before it made contact. He tried to kick her in the stomach, but Hinata leapt backwards away from the strike.

Through sheer brute force, Kisame tore the snake from his body, freeing his limbs. Shocked (for he had only seen Sakura overpower his jutsu in such a way) and with little time to react, Sai could not aviod the sword as it tore through his abdomen. Sai watched as the blood gushed out of his stomach. With no strength left, he collapsed to the ground.

Kisame raised his sword for the finishing blow when it was knocked out of his hands by a very powerful kick from Hinata. The sword spun through the air and finally lodged itself in the wood of a burning building. Kisame made several hand signs and a torrent of water gushed from its mouth sweeping away everything in its path.

As the water level slowly fell, the destruction it had on the village became apparent. Entire houses and trees were washed away, leaving nothing but wet earth in its path. However, Hinata and Sai were still there, Hinata standing in a circular ditch in the road.

Itachi knew this technique well. It was something only the most talented Hyuuga could master. The Hyuuga spins in place rapidly, expelling so much chakra that it becomes a sort of shield. It seems that the girl had used it to protect herself and her companion from the water.

Hinata leapt forward with incredible speed and struck Kisame square in the heart with her juuken. His heart completely destroyed, Kisame was dead before he fell to the floor.

"Well, well, Hyuuga," said Itachi, "Let's say we determine once and for all which is the most powerful clan: Hyuuga or Uchiha."

"Very well."

Hinata did not intend to mess around with this one. She took up the stance for her most powerful jutsu: the sixty-four palm strike. Hinata leapt at her opponent and with her forefingers jabbed him in every one of the sixty-four pressure points on his body. Itachi groaned and collapsed to the floor.

Then something unexpected happened. Itachi's crumpled form uttered a sickening laugh and lifted itself onto his feet. How was this possible? Hinata had sealed every one of his pressure points. He shouldn't be able to breath, much less stand!

Itachi uttered another laugh and turned to face her.

"I see now. So that's what those are!'

"What do you mean? And how are you still standing?'

"My sharingan can see what you are about to do before you even do it. Each time you struck, I moved just a little so that you would miss your target. But now that I have seen the sixty-four palm jutsu, I finally know where the pressure points are. I've always been able to see them. Chakra eddies and swirls around them. But I never knew what they were. Now that you've shown me, all I have to do is copy your movements."

Itachi assumed the stance that Hinata had used only moments before. With his forefingers, he aimed at all sixty-four of her pressure points. Hinata managed to block most of the blows, but her left arm still fell useless to her side. Hinata managed to hit Itachi in the stomach with her juuken and move back a safe distance from him.

Itachi coughed up a little blood and clutched at his stomach. Then Itachi's sharingan began to change. In his right eye, the three blades of the sharingan converged on one point and a stream of black fire gushed out of his eye. Hinata barley managed to dodge it in time, having to fall to the floor to avoid the sinister flames.

Itachi approached her with a kunai in hand. Hinata tried to move her left arm to block it, but it wouldn't budge. Hinata's world turned black.


	15. Mist and Water

**Disclaimer: yay, it's a disclaimer**

**A/N: You know the drill. Review or something bad will happen, blah blah blah**

_It was crowded. Oh so crowded. And cold._

_Sakura looked up at the many faces around her. Through the mist, it was hard to see past her nose. She tried to stand up to get a better look at her new, permanent surroundings, but she was too exhausted. She could still feel the kunai in her side. _

_At first, the others didn't seem too interested in her. Then, a small voice spoke up beside her._

"_It's her! It's her! Everyone, it's her!" exclaimed a little girl by her side. "The Uchiha said she would come, and she did! It's her!"_

_With that, the Dead jumped into action. A great flurry of activity moved around her, as these Dead people whispered to each other, calling to others a great distance away. Slowly, Sakura began notice a change in the nature of the buzzing around. Their talk changed from exclamations to commands._

_They realized how exhausted Sakura was, having just floated down the River. Too exhausted even to sit up. A thousand hands reached down and lifted her up and passed her body? soul? ghost? from person to person, finally laying her back down on the rocky ground._

_It was less misty here away from the shore. Without all the mist, she could see her surroundings a little better. Looking between the feet of those standing around her, she could see that there weren't just people here. There were animals, too, and insects, and plants. Every living thing that had ever died was here. _

"_Sakura-san" _

_Sakura looked up into the faces of the Dead encircling her. She was hit with sudden shock. Nearly all of these people had died violently. Very few met their end naturally. What's more, they were all very similar. Each one had thick, beautiful black hair, battle scars, and a sad, mournful expression. But, what caught Sakura's eye first, each and every one of them had blood-red sharingan eyes._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hinata awoke slowly, half surprised to find that she was still alive. It was a jutsu she had developed herself. At the last moment, she had stopped her own heart, playing dead, hoping that Itachi would believe the illusion. She breathed a sigh of relief, thanking the ancestors over and over for Itachi's failure to inspect her body.

She could feel a kunai lodged in her leg and her left arm was still a little numb, but she could tell Sai was in far worse condition. Hinata crawled over to him, turned him onto his back, and cradled his head in her lap. He was badly wounded, but without her left arm she couldn't use her medical ninjutsu. The best she could do was press her cloak against the wound and try to stop the flow of blood.

"Hin . . . Hinata-san" Sai croaked, barely managing to squeeze out that one word.

"Yes Sai?"

"T-tell Rock Lee . . . tell . . . tell him I love him more than anything." Seeing the confusion on her face, he continued, "B-but don't tell anyone else. No one is" cough "no one is supposed to know about us."

The confusion on Hinata's face changed to shock then slowly to warm understanding.

"I will Sai. And I promise to keep your secret." With that, Sai showed the world one last smile and let his final breath escape his lungs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sakura-san"

_Sakura gazed into the crimson red eyes around her, fear forcing her to forget her exhaustion. One figure stepped forward from the throng of Uchiha and sat down beside her. She had long hair was thick and silky and dark, dark black like everyone else's. Sakura couldn't help but notice as the woman sat down that her movements were strikingly similar to Sasuke's._

"_Sakura-san, soon the Dragon will be here to take you back, so I have little time to explain. So please listen without interrupting."_

_Sakura nodded her head and managed to sit up._

"_Alright, Sakura-san, I have much to explain. Where should I start? Sakura-san, do you believe in fate?" Sakura shook her head._

"_Neither did I, till I came here. We Uchiha loose all of our abilities in Death. Everything that the Sharingan could do in life it can't in Death. But, the Sharingan does gain one ability. We Uchiha can see into the world of the Living. So you see, ever since the founding of the Uchiha, the Dead of our clan have reported to the other Dead what happens in Life. Then, if intervention is needed, the Dead can collectively influence Life."_

"_Which means – "_

"_That's right, the Dead decide fate. For hundreds of years this influence was minimal, but recently we have had to take more action. Do you remember that day you entered the Forbidden Room in the library of the Hokage?"_

"_Yes."_

"_We directed you to the Book of the Dead." Sudden realization spread throughout Sakura's body, followed quickly by rage._

"_How could you? Do you realize what that book did to me? Do you realize what happened when I first –"_

"_Sakura-san, please, we have little time. We led you to that book because it will help you leave with the Dragon."_

"_What's this Dragon you speak of?"_

"_I'll explain later. I need to tell you about yourself. But first, you need some history. How much do you know about the Uchiha?"_

"_I did some research shortly after Sasuke-kun left the village. The Uchiha and the Senju clans were always fierce rivals. A century ago, Uchiha Madara and the leading of the Senju made a pact, and together they built Konohagakure. The Senju leader would be the First Hokage. Every Hokage after, excluding the fourth, would be Senju. At first there was peace, but the Uchiha became resentful. Twelve years ago they planned a coup. They sent Uchiha Itachi to join ANBU and serve as a spy. He was ordered to kill his entire clan before the Uchiha could revolt. Itachi chose the safety of his village over his family. He killed them all, except his little brother._

"_You know quite a lot. That will save me some time. Now, do you know why Tsunade-sama left the village before becoming Hokage?"_

"_No."_

"_Alright. As you know, she is the granddaughter of the first Hokage and is therefore of the Senju clan. Many years ago, she fell in love with a man who had aspirations of becoming Hokage. They were in love for many years and decided to get married. Before they were married, however, this man was sent on a suicidal mission. Before he left, they spent the night together in case he didn't return. She didn't know it at the time, but that night she had conceived a child. When the man left for his mission, Tsunade couldn't stop worrying about him and followed after his team. This man fell injured, but Tsunade could not save him because her pregnancy greatly weakened her medical abilities."_

_The woman paused for a moment before continuing._

"_When the Senju clan discovered Tsunade's pregnancy, they exiled her in disgrace. Several weeks after her exile, the clan decided that it would be too dangerous to let the child stay with her. They didn't want Tsunade setting up a new branch of the Senju clan elsewhere. So, while Tsunade was resting after her labor, an ANBU squad entered her hiding place and stole the child. They took this child back to the village and placed her in the care of the Haruno family. Sakura, you are Tsunade's daughter."_

_Sakura stood up suddenly at the realization._

"_LIES! These are all lies! That's not true! I'm a Haruno!"_

"_Yes you are Sakura, but you're also a Senju."_

"_No, you're wrong! I have the same hair as my mother, the same eyes as my father! You're wrong!"_

"_That's why they chose that particular family to raise you. Have you ever wondered why your abilities are so similar to Tsunade's"_

"_It's not true! it can't be true. My whole life couldn't have been a lie! Where's my family, I want to speak with them!" She said, letting several tears roll down her face._

"_They're too far away. They wouldn't arrive in time."_

_Sakura tears turned into hiccupping sobs. She muttered the words "You're wrong, you're wrong" between sobs over and over, unable to control the confusing emotions inside her._

"_Sakura-san, please sit down. I have more to tell you and the Dragon is close now."_

_When Sakura had regained some composure, she sat down again, but tears continue to wet her cheeks._

"_I'll have to say this quickly. I told you this because it was the Senju clan that ordered Itachi to kill us. We aren't resentful of you, Sakura, or of Tsunade. Neither of you had any part in it. But if Sasuke finds out, he might want more revenge. He might want to kill you. My poor son . . . He is . . . He is unwell, and I need you to heal him before he falls over the edge. Now there is more you must know. Just recently, Itachi captured Naruto."_

_Sakura gasped, quickly forgetting any grievance she had about her family._

"_Jiraiya is on his way, but the Leader of Akatsuki is about to intercept him. If they meet, Jiraiya will definitely fail. Itachi is bringing Naruto to the cave where Gaara's bijuu was extracted. You know the place well. Sakura-san, you must keep the Kyuubi out of Akatsuki's hands."_

_Off in the distance, they heard a great rumbling sound like footsteps._

_"The Dragon is close now. It was a God in life, but died many centuries ago. It is powerful, but not as powerful as the Death God. When it comes, you will have to use the spells you learned from the Book of the Dead to give it extra strength. With your help, it will be able to take you back. Do you understand?"_

"_I do."_

"_Good."_

_Suddenly, the Dead surrounding her parted, making an opening for a massive beast to walk through. Sakura marveled at the incredible power of the Dragon. Its head was beautiful, and its long, serpentine body was covered thickly in white, rabbit-soft fur. It stood on powerful legs as tall as Sakura's body, and when it lifted its head to full height, she could no longer see its head in the mist. _

_The Dragon lowered itself down, allowing Sakura to climb onto its back._

"_Sakura-san" said the Uchiha, "protect Naruto."_

"_I will."_

"_And, please, save my son."_

"_I will."_

_The Dragon stood on its powerful legs and walked towards the shore of the River. Sakura found her thoughts traveling to Tsunade. She remembered what Tsunade had said the night her sister had died. She had said, "I have always considered you as a daughter to me." Daughter of the Fifth Hokage. Daughter of a Legendary Sanin. Daughter of her wonderful, brilliant mentor. Perhaps she could get used to the idea._

_The mist was thicker closer to the River. The Dragon tried to step into the water, but the Death God pressed in too tightly. Sakura put her thumb and middle finger to the corners of her mouth and whistled a single, shrill not. The water rippled with the vibration, and the mist parted a little. The Dragon stepped into the water. Sakura blew another note, and another, and another, weaving an eerie, complex song._

_Together, girl and Dragon, they swam upstream, towards Life._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sakura opened her eyes. Slowly, her senses returned to her. She was underwater. The water was muddy. It was cold, but not as cold as the River of Death. And there was a current.

Sakura struggled and struggled against the pull of the water. She managed to grab hold of a plant of some sort (she was too dazed to tell what it was exactly) and hauled herself, painfully, slowly, onto the bank of this river. Plastered in mud, and possibly a little blood, she lay herself down on the wet earth. She fell asleep too fast to even note whether it was night or day.


End file.
